Red Means Stop
by EbonyOsmosis
Summary: A lie, a plot, a mystery to solve, all while surviving a war between earth and space. Well, with one person to stand by him throughout it all, it shouldn't be so bad. COMPLETE!
1. Blackout

Red Means Stop

Chapter 1: Blackout

* * *

Slow, deliberate breathing. In and out, seeming so perfectly calculated, yet nothing more than an automatic response. A system running systematic duties without question. Breath came out loud and ragged. Elbows rested on knees, his face propped up in his hands. Eyes stared carelessly from gaps in limp fingers. Not really seeing what was there, the image of the newspaper warped. Text starts sliding to the left, intertwining with a photograph detailing some event.

A dull aching in his head was present, the sound of blood rushing and pumping echoing insanely loud in his ears. His vision jerked in a harsh blip for a moment, fading back in slowly, but it was soon back to the shifting and colliding image of the newspaper. Blood slowly dribbled down his arms, soaking into his shirt sleeves and staining them. A fit of spasmodic shaking overtook his thin body, rattling him so badly it felt like an earthquake was striking. He didn't consciously think this, however. His mind was lost in a hazy flurry of images, replaying in front of his eyes in gruesome clarity, frightening and stark.

The door opened and suddenly a concerned voice broke the silence upon the sight. He did not hear what the words were at first, biting his lip so hard that blood was starting to run down his chin. That hands that touched him suddenly brought him out of whatever trance it was. Still shaking like a leaf, he turned wide, blank eyes to the person who'd interrupted the quiet. When he saw the moving lips and worried eyes, he started to hear the words. "Maxwell? What's wrong, what happened?"

'_Fei... _His mind supplied dully. His hands fell uselessly and Wufei caught them in a quick movement, turning his palms up and looking at his wrists in shock. "Duo! What happened?"

The braided pilot stared at his friend for a long moment, blinking tiredly and shaking his head. He was muttering under his breath, and Wufei had to lean forward to catch the words that were being repeated like a mantra. "I don't know... I don't know, I don't know. I don't know..."

"Shh, come on. Stand up." The Chinese boy eased Duo up from the bed, guiding the bleeding American to the bathroom and turning on the light. The room flooded white, making Duo's eyes blanch for a second and start to ache after the initial shock. He was gently guided to sit on the closed toilet. While Wufei busied with finding the medical kit and getting the needed supplies, Duo stared down at his hands numbly. Blood covered his palms and flowed slowly from his wrists, a large gash on each and many more on his arms, although these were slightly shallower.

He looked up when a pair of hands took his left arm gently, watching as Wufei cleaned away the excess blood with a warm wet cloth. Duo stared transfixed at the movements, so soft and careful that he had a hard time grasping that it was his normally hostile comrade making them. His arms were eventually cleared mostly from the blood, leaving many cuts visible on the pale and tender flesh, red with irritation around the wounds. It barely even registered in his mind with the antiseptic was applied, completely numb to the harsh stinging when the liquid came in contact with raw skin.

Wufei applied thick gauze to Duo's wrists, not bothering to go so far with the more minor cuts on the insides of his arms. He wrapped the length of the braided boy's arms in bandages, finishing them off snugly at the wrists. A million thoughts raced through his mind, but he refrained from unleashing them all at once with his questions. Why had this happened? _Why would he do this to himself? _He put away the supplies quietly, stowing the first aid kit where he'd found it and rinsing the small towel he'd used to clean the blood. Wufei startled slightly when he took another look at Duo's face, noticing the smeared blood that he'd previously forgotten.

He reached out with the cloth slowly, fearing he would startle the boy who was lost in trance. The body flinched slightly upon contact with the warm towel, but did nothing more as Wufei proceeded to clean away the drying blood. Finished, he washed the hand cloth once more and left it hanging on the faucet so it could dry. He gently coaxed Duo to stand, leading not to his own bedroom, but to the Chinese pilot's instead. The braided teen looked around quietly, obviously noticing that this was not his own room, but Wufei's. He could see the curiosity in those cobalt eyes, which made him feel slightly better. The small sign of life was comforting compared to the almost zombie-like state Duo had been in since Wufei found him.

The Chinese boy spoke gently. "Maxwell, get some rest, okay?" He pulled back the blankets of the bed and looked up at the braided American expectantly. After a few long seconds, the Deathscythe pilot moved, sitting on the bed gingerly and looking down at the sheets in an odd way. Wufei was about to say something but Duo finally lifted his legs up and curled into a ball on the bed. He didn't move when Wufei pulled up the sheets and made sure he was covered. The pale teenager's eyes were barely open, staring half-lidded at the far wall and looking glazed. The black haired boy looked down at him in concern for a moment, turning to walk out of the room. "Rest. I'll check on you in a while."

* * *

Wufei looked around Duo's room quietly, an odd grimace on his face. Glass shards from a shattered mirror littered the carpet like autumn leaves, reflecting broken images of the room and its sole inhabitant. He kneeled down gently, carefully picking up each piece and dropping it into a waste basket. He hesitated when his hand moved over the largest piece, jagged and covered in blood. Wufei picked it up gingerly, tossing it into the basket without letting his gaze linger. With the remains of the mirror gone, he moved to the bed, which had large spots of blood dotting the top sheet. He pulled this off easily, making sure there were no more remains of the 'episode' before taking the blanket and the waste basket out of the room.

Depositing the sheet in the washing machine, Wufei dumped the glass shards into the kitchen trash can afterwards. He stood in the kitchen for a few minutes, mulling over the event in his head. The last thing he'd expected to see coming into Duo's room was the sight he got. Knocking received no answer, so he'd decided to look in to check if the Deathscythe pilot was even in there. It'd been a shock to see him. Sitting on the bed, face in bloody hands and more of the red liquid running down his arms in large rivulets, glass littering the floor in broken shards. The boy had been shaking so badly that it'd startled Wufei. Everything about the image was wrong, it went against everything he knew to be Duo Maxwell.

The Chinese pilot busied himself for a few minutes making some jasmine tea. He sat at the kitchen table, sipping the warm liquid and reveling in the comforting weight of tea settling in his stomach. He let out a quiet breath, staring out the window at the setting sun. It set a sharp glow of red and orange across the fields of the country-set safe-house they were currently staying in. The building was quiet, unusual only in the aspect that a certain person was not loudly making his presence known. The pilots were rarely all together at once, usually busy with solo missions spreading them out across the globe. The only other person in the safe-house at the moment besides him and Duo was Quatre. The matter had to be discussed with the Winner heir.

Wufei glanced at the clock and realized he'd been sitting in the kitchen for twenty minutes just drinking tea, which was now gone. He washed out the cup and dried it, carefully setting it away. He glided up the stairs of quaint two story house, moving down the hallway to the room at the end of the hallway. He knocked quietly and stood by. When there was a gentle 'come in,' Wufei opened the door and stepped into the room, shutting it behind him. He looked about until he spotted Quatre at the desk, papers in a neat stack to one side and a laptop on the other, where the blonde was typing away. Despite being a Gundam pilot and wanted as a terrorist, the Arab still took the time to manage his family's company, a business genius hidden away in the gentle 15-year old boy.

Blue eyes turned for a moment and met his, already picking up that something was wrong. The welcoming smile had died before it even appeared, and Quatre's eyes held confusion and worry. "Wufei? What's wrong?"

The Chinese pilot walked closer and to the side so his comrade didn't have to crane around in his chair. Wufei took a deep breath before starting. "Winner, something is wrong with Maxwell."

"What? Oh my, I was so distracted by my work, I didn't notice anything. I feel it now, he's in pain. Allah, what happened, Wufei?"

"He's taken care of and resting right now," Wufei offered, trying to calm the blonde before he continued. "I entered his room to see him in a mental wreck and bleeding. He... cut himself multiple times."

There was a long, painful silence as the black haired teen finished his sentence. Quatre stared at him in shock, wide blue eyes reflecting his racing thoughts and confusion. "C...Cut himself? But... why would he do such a thing?"

Wufei shook his head, speaking softly. "I've no idea, but it looked like he had some sort of breakdown."

Quatre looked around, shaking his head in distress and looking at the Chinese pilot with pleading eyes. "We have to do something. If he's suicidal..."

"No, I don't think he is..." The silence from Quatre prompted him to continue, wordlessly urging him. "If you'd seen him... He was in a trance when I found him, and he honestly didn't know what had happened once he came to. I don't think he consciously meant to do what he did. And the cuts truly weren't deep enough for him to bleed to death before clotting."

Quatre mulled all this over, an elbow resting on his desk and his hand covering his mouth. Aquamarine eyes stared ahead blankly for a long moment, finally meeting Wufei's. "Well, whatever we do, we can't decide just this moment."

Wufei nodded. "I agree. When he wakes up, we'll see how stable he is emotionally, then we can judge what to do from there."

"Maxwell... Maxwell, wake up."

* * *

He squinted his eyes shut tighter in irritation, not ready to rouse from his slumber. It was silent once more and he started to relax back into sleep, but a gentle shake at his shoulder caused heavy eyelids to flutter open. "Maxwell, wake now. Winner told me you haven't eaten since breakfast."

Duo groaned and opened his eyes slowly, blinking to clear away the sleep from his vision. A blur of colors slowly came into focus, turning out to be Wufei with a small tray in his hands. The braided boy looked around silently for a moment, noticing he was in the Chinese pilot's room. _So it wasn't a dream... _He sat up slowly, noting the way his arms ached collectively from the many frantic cuts littering the skin harshly. The tray was suddenly placed in his lap when he was upright, accompanied by a sharp command from Wufei. "Eat."

Duo studied the contents of the tray. A bowl of chicken soup sat steaming softly in the center, a spoon resting on the lip. To the left was an apple and to the right, some saltine crackers and a glass of water. He looked up when Wufei spoke. "You lost a fair amount of blood; you need to regain your strength, so eat."

Nodding dully, the American slowly picked up the spoon, scooping up some of the soup and blowing on it softly to cool it off before eating it. Several spoonfuls later, he temporarily abandoned the soup for crackers. He was thankful that the meal had been made up specifically of foods that were easy on the stomach. Duo took a moment to look at the other pilot. Wufei was watching him intently, most likely to make sure he ate everything. More than anything else, though, he saw the question burning in those coal black eyes. Wufei was restraining himself, but Duo could tell he was itching to ask that inquiry that was on both of their minds.

Duo sighed quietly, taking a drink from the glass of water. "I don't... know why. Alright?" He looked up at Wufei, finding his expression unreadable. "I... fuck, I don't know... I was... I can't even remember what I was doing, I just blacked out. Then I woke up and you were there calling my name and helping me... I swear to God I didn't..." He looked at his bandaged arms with a slightly nauseous look on his face. "I didn't do it on purpose..."

When the braided pilot looked up finally, Wufei was staring at him. Not harshly, just a sort of sad, calm look. The black haired teen merely closed his eyes and shook his head. "Just eat."

Duo looked at him with dejected eyes, bottom lip threatening to start trembling. He was so confused, and more than the gashes on his wrist, the disappointment on Wufei's face hurt ten times worse. "I didn't..."

They were both silent for a long moment, and when Wufei opened his eyes again he looked at Duo. "I believe you. Just eat so you can get better."

Nodding slowly, the braided boy resumed with his meal. Neither said a word after that, the only sounds being the occasional 'chink' of the spoon against the soup bowl. Once Duo was finished with his meal, he felt a great deal better. It was his first bit of sustenance since breakfast that morning. _Speaking of which... _"What time is it?"

Wufei picked up the tray and set it on his desk, checking the clock while he was in the vicinity. "11:13 p.m. We were thinking of letting you sleep through the night, but Winner and I decided it best for you to eat something."

Duo nodded again, blushing once a thought struck him. "I should probably get out of your bed so you can get some sleep..."

Shaking his head to dismiss this, Wufei pulled extra blankets from his closet and began setting up a sleeping mat a few feet away from his bed. "No. You'll be staying here. You're not going to be left alone tonight."

"But..."

"I know you didn't do anything on purpose. But what if whatever happened before happens again? What if you're in your room? No one would find you until morning, and that could end badly."

The braided boy bit his lip, finding it sore from earlier that day. "But I feel terrible stealing your bed from you..."

"Don't." Wufei shook his head. "It's not stealing if I volunteered to let you stay here. Besides, I slept on a bed mat every night as a child; this is just as comfortable to me as a bed." He finished his set up by placing a pillow at the front of it, looking up at Duo finally. The boy was staring at him with an almost lost look in his eyes.

Finding his voice hoarse, the braided teen cleared his throat and tried again. "Why are you doing all this for me, Wufei?"

The Chinese pilot paused as he was getting into his bed mat, continuing until he was sitting. Wufei looked over to the braided teen occupying his bed. Duo definitely looked worse for wear, and it was only then that he noticed Duo was looking bedraggled like this even before the incident. _How did no one notice this?_ He would talk to the other boy tomorrow about whatever was going on. Stress, repressed memories, mental strain; it could have been any of those.

He looked at Duo for another moment, reaching up onto his nightstand to turn off the lamp. He slid down beneath the covers of his sleep mat and waited until he heard his temporary roommate settle down as well. After the shuffling, it was quiet for a few tense seconds. Wufei's voice penetrated the silence softly yet firmly.

"Because that's what friends do."

Duo didn't say anything right away, but Wufei heard him breathing heavily, as if he were trying to keep his emotions in check. His soft voice whispered across the pitch black of the room. "Thank you..."

"Goodnight Maxwell."

"Night, 'Fei..."

* * *

To Be Continued. Hopefully. :O

Hope you liked the start of this. I'm pretty sure I have a solid plot in mind. Sorry for the OOCness... _;


	2. Comfortably Numb

Red Means Stop

Chapter 2: Comfortably Numb

* * *

Duo stared down at his arms in the early morning sunlight, eyes distant. His fingers flexed slowly, making the tendons covered in bandages push up on the gauze. His gaze moved to the window, where soft light filtered in through the milky curtains. _I like 'Fei's room, it gets a lot more light than mine... _His room was usually dark in the morning, and it only lit up to a normal point. Wufei's room was aglow in the rays of the sun, making it seem very bright and welcoming. _Hopefully I'll get a better room at our next safe house. _A small smile perked at his lips as the thought trailed off, but quickly died.

_What the hell happened? I can't even remember what happened yesterday. There was breakfast, then a big stretch of black before 'Fei came in my room... _Duo sighed quietly and slid his face into his hands, blocking his eyes from the rest of the world. _There was broken glass. A mirror. How could a mirror cause something like that? Am I crazy?_

The American wracked his brain for any information that would lead to an explanation, or even a hint. _Bipolar? No, I don't have bouts of depression. Delirium? No. No disorganized thinking, nor fluctuating level of confusion. Dementia? No. Dissociative identity?.. God... no, no. It doesn't fit. What was that other one... Schizo... Schizoaffective disorder? _His mind raced on in such pattern, recalling symptoms, causes, dozens and dozens of disorders and problems.

_No, can't be that one._

"Good morning."

_But the mixed episodes kind of sound like me..._

"Maxwell?"

_But I don't ever get that severe... Do I? _

"Maxwell, are you alright?"

_But if I remember correctly, only two of those symptoms are required._

"Maxwell!"

Duo shot up as hands grabbed his shoulders suddenly, shaking him gently. He backed away in panic for a moment as soldier instincts kicked in, but his mind started to relax when he realized it was Wufei. He let out a huge breath in relief, reaching a hand up to brush away some bangs. "Sorry, 'Fei. I was thinking."

Wufei looked slightly worried. "It took a long time for you to respond. Are you alright?"

The braided boy nodded, inwardly berating himself for the slip. _I probably look even more like I'm going insane. How long was he talking to me before I snapped out of it? _"I'm fine, I was just wracking my brain."

There was a moment in which they were both silent, Wufei assessing his charge warily. He studied the look on Duo's face for a few seconds and nodded, turning to the door. "I'm going to get you something to eat."

"Hey, hold on a sec." Duo folded the covers away carefully, mindful that it was someone else's bed and not his own to mess up. He stood up easily, feeling a little weak from previous blood loss but not enough to warrant staying in bed. "I'm fine, you don't have to go out of your way." The braided boy grinned cheekily. "Last time I checked, I'm not an invalid."

The Chinese pilot snorted and rolled his eyes, gesturing for the other teen to follow him. Duo trailed after him through the hallway and they arrived in the kitchen. Duo went about gathering a skillet and ingredients to make pancake batter, while Wufei retrieved eggs from the refrigerator and a pan. He glanced at the braided pilot from the side as they stood next to one another at the stove. "You know we're going to have a discussion after breakfast, right?"

Duo looked up briefly from the corner of his eye, easing at the corners of the pancakes with a spatula. "Yeah, I know..."

The two looked up when Quatre appeared in the doorway, hands on the frame and looking slightly out of breath. "Duo..." He started, blinking in a stunned manner for a moment. "You're awake..."

Giving him a slightly guilty looking smile, Duo chuckled softly. "Yeah. Breakfast will be ready in a minute, want to set the table?"

"S...sure." The blonde began to move around quietly, gathering plates and silverware for the three of them. He knew just as well as his two friends that there was going to be a serious talk after they'd all eaten. Not only was there the initial problem of _why _it had happened, there was the question of what to tell Heero and Trowa. _I expect Duo might want to keep it between the three of us, but... Heero and Trowa are part of the team, part of this _family, _they have a right to know..._

He held back a sigh, setting down three glasses of milk next to each plate. It was going to be a difficult and tense conversation following breakfast, but he needed answers. The thing that was bothering Quatre the most was why he hadn't _felt _anything from Duo. He could usually pick up on the emotions of anyone if he tried, but strong feelings came to him unbidden. So if Duo were going through turmoil so fierce as to make him... hurt himself, then shouldn't have Quatre felt it? Like a blow to his own chest? It was just one of the many questions that needed to be answered.

When the food was ready, the three of them sat down to eat. Breakfast was a silent affair, the atmosphere just a bit tense because of the current problem lording over their heads. This was foreign territory for the three. Slipping unnoticed into an Oz base for recon, taking out the enemy force while outnumbered, blowing up a factory, all easy. But emotional trauma? They had the experience, but it was still a mystery how to go about healing such things.

Duo shoved the food around on his plate, smearing up some maple syrup on the small piece of pancake and lifting with the fork. He stared down at his plate the entire time, not making eye contact with either of them. The whole thing felt odd. The circumstances to _what happened _where as much unknown to himself as Wufei and Quatre. The braided pilot took a drink of his milk, grimacing slightly(he never did like milk very much) and running over everything in his mind again.

Staring down into his plate with a piercing gaze did not do much to help remember what had gone on past yesterday morning. Things were fuzzy an hour after breakfast, which he could remember being plain cold cereal and a banana. A mental picture of himself curling up on the bed to read played itself through Duo's mind, going blank like a television shutting off in the middle of a program. He blinked suddenly, coming back to the present and his remaining food. He went back to eating before the other two could notice his lapse into oblivion.

When the meal was finished, they took up the task of cleaning up as a distraction, whether they realized it or not. Wufei washed the dishes, handing them off to Duo. The American would dry each item as it was passed to him. He usually did the washing, but he didn't want the bandages to get wet. That would be incentive for them to be changed, and he really didn't want to see the cuts on his wrists... Quatre made busy by clearing away the rest of the things- the syrup bottle, the milk, the pancake mix, and anything else that needed to go back in its rightful place.

After everything done and put away, they uneasily took their places at the kitchen table once more. A tense silence overtook them again, and for once, Quatre was really reluctant to be the diplomat in the matter. He took a heavy breath. "Duo, why... did this happen?"

The braided pilot looked down at his hands on the table, which were fidgeting slightly now that the attention was finally turned to him. Duo couldn't tell which was worse, the initial anticipation, or the moment now that it was finally here. "First of all... I didn't do it on purpose... that sounds really stupid, I know, but... I can't remember much of yesterday after breakfast. I remember what I ate, then an hour on, things just got fuzzy and then totally blank. There's a blackout in my memory of that time."

Quatre frowned, and it scared Duo because he couldn't tell what it was the Arab was thinking. "What's the first thing you remember after that time?"

"I... When 'Fei came in my room and started talking to me, I looked up at him. When I saw his lips forming the words, that's when everything kind of snapped back. Then I looked down and I... saw the blood on my arms..."

From his corner position of the triangle they formed, Wufei spoke. "Has anything been going on lately that we should know about? Stress? Memories?.."

Duo hesitated before denying it, going back in his memories and emotions to search for the answer. "I guess... Stress, yeah. It's been one mission after another lately, and the last one I just barely skimmed by with my limbs intact... I've been running on reserves. I really haven't been getting much sleep either."

Quatre frowned. "Were you somehow shielding yourself? I couldn't feel anything unusual from you until Wufei told me what happened, and I had to specifically look for your emotions."

Lacing his fingers, the braided boy leaned his chin on his hands thoughtfully, eyes confused and showing his inner turmoil. "I... I think I recall... I dunno, just wanting to... get away... I remember closing in on myself..."

"You must have blocked me out somehow," Quatre responded. "I could not feel an ounce of your tumult when it was happening." The Arab shook his head in dismay.

Wufei opened his mouth to speak but was cut off by a faint beeping from down the hall. They all stared down the direction of the noise, and it was finally Quatre who sighed in defeat. "That sounds like it's coming from your room, Duo."

Giving the two an apologetic look, Duo was none the less relieved to have a temporary reprieve from the situation. He slipped out of his seat and trotted down the hall to his room, opening the idle laptop and viewing his new mission specs. When he looked up, Quatre and Wufei were standing in the doorway, looking glum. The braided pilot started packing his gear, giving them another contrite look. "Sorry guys, I can't ignore it. G says this is an important one."

The blonde pilot folded his arms, looking as if the assignment of a mission was a personal attack on their conversation. "What is your objective?"

Checking the sharpness of his hunting knife, Duo sheathed the weapon within his combat boot. "There's a base apparently producing AI chips for the mobile dolls. So instead of fighting puppets, we'd be fighting _smart _puppets." He looked at them uneasily. "They'd be able to learn from attack patterns and formulate their own retaliations. Not a good combination with easily disposable mechs. I need to take out the factory and the nearby base. According to G, it can't wait." He frowned.

Wufei looked stern, in a put out way. "Parameters?"

"Infiltration first to retrieve data, specifically blueprints of the chip. Then I rig the place to blow sky high. It's in Belgium, so I'll probably be a few days."

There was an uncomfortable silence in which everyone knew what had to be asked, but no one quite wanted to be the first to address it. As usual, diplomat of the group, the Sandrock pilot met Duo's eyes with his own soft blue gaze. "And if Heero and Trowa get home? Can we... tell them? Or do you want us to wait?"

Heaving a heavy sigh, Duo swallowed past the lump in his throat. They deserved to know, was the first thought that came up. He considered them all his brothers, his only family and the only thing keeping him sane. But... It'd been bad enough with Wufei and Quatre, but two more... He shook his head. "Go ahead and tell them... I'd rather not be here for the initial reaction. We can't keep it from them, but all the same..."

Nodding, Wufei gave him a reassuring look. "I understand. We'll get them up to date with everything, less questions when you get back."

Giving a shaky smile, the American looked truly grateful. "Thanks."

"We should probably have your bandages changed before you go," Quatre supplied, eyeing the red-splotched strips. "If your wounds open, you'll need the wrappings fresh."

"Alright," Duo nodded. Truthfully, he was afraid to see the slices on his wrists. The mental picture that'd been popping into his head lately was nauseous. He imagined with gruesome clarity the blade cutting into flesh and artery, drawing an upwelling of blood and resulting in a repressed shiver of his spine. He squelched the feeling down, masking the discomfort from his friends. _But I'm sure Quat feels it anyway. _That was okay, wasn't it? If the thought of harming himself brought his stomach to churn, wouldn't that further his case that he hadn't done it on purpose?

After a change in bandages, this time only on his wrists, -the smaller cuts along his forearms had scabbed over- Duo was standing in front of the hangar door with his gear. In his usually sensitive way, Quatre gave him a tight, comforting hug, drawing a shaky smile to Duo's lips. Wufei rested a steady hand on the braided pilot's shoulder and gave it a squeeze, nodding when their eyes met.

Duo waved at the two with a smile, riding the lift wire up to the cockpit of his Gundam. As he got settled in, he ran a quick diagnostic scan in a sweep over the machine. Finding everything to be in working order, he powered up the main systems, lights coming on and the visual screen flickering to life, showing fuel levels and various other readings. He quickly went through the library of music stored in Deathscythe's hard drive, selecting a playlist of upbeat rock music to get him out of the depressing funk. It would also serve to get him revved for mission mode, as was usually the case.

When the familiar sound of fast drum beats and precise strums of bass guitars filled the cockpit, Duo felt his mind ease into a well-known mindset. This was familiar territory, safe and systematic. It wasn't the tumult of emotions and talking about his problems, which he tried to avoid, but the embrace of destructive purpose. He was helping for a future of peace, and the prospect of releasing some pent-up emotion on the soulless mobile dolls wasn't a terrible vista, either.

With the comforting hum and rumble of engines and machinery accompanying his music, Duo eased the controls and piloted out of the hangar, gaining a good height before activating his hyper jammers. Feeling secure in his familiar routine, he pushed the throttle and the safe house was quickly lost behind him. As Deathscythe ate up the distance between Duo and his target, he felt himself easing into the mindset, starting to feel the workings of adrenaline appearing.

He grinned.

"Ready or not, here I come."

* * *

I wanted to go over the word count of chapter one, but this seemed like a good place to leave off. I'm only 200 or so words short. I'm sorry this took so long, for a while I was stuck on how to proceed, but I've got an outline in my mind now.


	3. Pressure

Red Means Stop

Chapter 3: Pressure

* * *

It was five hours of piloting later that found Duo coming upon his target. The braided American stashed his precious Gundam in a nearby forest, carefully putting up the camouflage netting. It wouldn't do for his baby to be discovered and taken captive. He snorted. _I sound like an overprotective mother. _He might as well have been. Deathscythe was his pride and joy.

When he was all geared up, he looked like someone out of a spy movie. He was in his usual attire, the modified priest outfit and black combat boots. He was fitted with several knives on his belt and one in each boot, as well as his trusty gun holstered at his side. Duo also carried in his pocket a flash drive in a protective slip. Most thought of him as a careless person, but on missions where he had to go in on foot, Duo preferred to be prepared. Contrary to popular belief, he was all business in such a situation. Well, _almost _all, he thought with a grin. Making sure his vest was well secured; he set off for the two mile journey through the forest.

Arriving at the perimeter of the compound a few minutes later thanks to his brisk pace, Duo lowered himself to the ground and crawled forward. Peering through the brush, he took into account the four guards patrolling the grounds. The braided boy smirked. _Only four? My, Oz is getting a wee bit overconfident these days. I'll just have to fix that._

He slipped a small pair of binoculars from his vest jacket, taking in the smaller details of the compound. He counted five security cameras, already plotting in his head the route he'd take to avoid them. The chain link fence marking the perimeter was topped with barbed wire, and a few trip wires glinted in the moonlight. He scoffed quietly, putting away the binoculars. _This is pathetic. _

Duo waited ten or fifteen minutes until one of the guards stopped and checked his watch. The man said something to the other soldiers and the four left for a shift change. That was Duo's cue, and he made his way towards the fence in a blind spot of the security cameras. Moving in the shadows, he probed the fence quickly until he found a weak spot, pulling it back until the corner gave enough room for him to slip under. He ghosted across the grounds easily, stopping near a small alcove. He knelt down next to a vent shaft carrying out cool air, removing the small folding knife from his pocket.

With the flat part of the blade, he quickly and silently took off the four screws at each corner. He slipped into the duct, gripping the cover through the holes in the metal screen to prop it up against the entrance behind him. He traveled the vent system quietly for thirty minutes before finding the room of the mainframe computer. Waiting patiently for any signs of someone coming into the room from his vantage point in the overhead duct, he finally set to work removing the cover. He dropped through the open vent gracefully, landing with the poise and ease of a feline.

He moved freely about the room thanks to the disabled security system, approaching the computer. He sized up the machine, deducting it to be not much of a challenge for his hacking skills. He allowed a small grin, pulling the rolling chair over and seating himself in front of the terminal. Duo's fingers flew across the keys with inhuman speed, one that almost rivaled Heero Yuy's. _One of these days I'm going to figure out our WPM's, just for the hell of it._

The computer offered no real challenge for the L2 orphan, and he skirted through the maze of firewalls and defense systems easily. Duo accessed the encoded database in minutes flat, and he pulled the flash drive from his pocket, inserting the small device into the USB drive. The processor hummed loudly as he copied all of the information over into his awaiting hands, and then deleted the original files. He smiled in satisfaction and put the portable hard drive back into its protective case. Wouldn't it be a bitch for something to happen to it this late in the game?

_Now for the fun part, _Duo thought with a grin. From another vest pocket, he pulled out one of many small explosive devices. After securing it to the underside of the access panel for the database, Duo connected two wires, effectively arming the explosive. He moved to the door of the computer room, slowly easing the knob to the side when he heard no footsteps in the hall beyond.

Finding the coast clear, Duo slipped from the room and shut it behind him, disappearing into the shadows of the dimmed hallways. It sure suited his purposes that the base was on energy reserve. As he ghosted through the building, he left several more goodies in the form of his hand crafted explosives. The boy smirked, concealing himself in the shadows when an Oz soldier passed by.

He resisted the urge to laugh as he darted out into the passage opposite the way the solider went. Sometimes it was too much fun to wreak havoc and destruction right under Oz's nose, and Duo planned to get as much fun out of this one as possible.

He made his way out of the base without detection for the most part, until he ran into someone. Having just stumbled out of the sleeping quarters, the new recruit blinked slowly. He was a young man, most likely in his mid-twenties by Duo's guess, with short black hair and brown eyes. Those sleepy eyes widened and his mouth opened to shout, but he was too slow. A hand covered the man's mouth and a gun pointed to his temple, effectively smothering his shout. The soldier's eyes were wide with fear as a deadly voice whispered near his ear, "Don't. Even. Think about it."

Nodding frantically, the man quietly eased his foot behind him, kicking it loudly. Duo cursed and twisted the soldier's neck, but it was too late. Damage already done, the door to the barracks slid open, revealing more surprised men. Aiming the gun point blank, the Gundam pilot opened fire, thankful that the silencer was on his gun.

But fate would not be nice to him this mission. One of the men managed to dodge below the fire and press an alarm. A loud klaxon traveled through the base as the interior pulsed in red light. "Fuck!" Duo swore, taking out the last of the soldiers. He took off running down the hall, making it out of the base before anyone else spotted him. The commotion behind him grew as more Oz soldiers scrambled about, scouring the base for the threat that had invaded them.

Running out the way he came towards his Gundam, Duo made sure he was a safe enough distance away before reaching into his vest. He pulled out the small detonation device, depressing the button on the top and waiting for the resulting chaos. The first of many explosions wracked the main building, a chain reaction following at dozens of other spots. In a glory of destructive force, the Oz facility was engulfed in spreading flames, and Duo watched the faraway figures scrambling in discord.

Smirking, he turned and darted away, leaving nothing but the flicker of his retreating braid.

His leave was hampered, however, by a dozen mobile dolls barring the way of Deathscythe. "Hmph," Duo said in admonishment towards the challenge. "Cake walk." Casually starting up a play list as the enemy approached, Duo grinned and let the music flood him. Wielding the thermal scythe that was the trade of his mobile suit, the American pushed the throttle and went straight for the attackers.

"You're all that's left, huh?" he said cheekily. "I'm getting sloppy. I'd better clean up." With a malicious grin, he hefted the weapon in glee and swung it horizontally, cleaving the two closest mobile dolls in half. A second later, the dolls exploded in a fiery glory. Deathscythe darted sideways to avoid an onslaught of thermal rifle shots. A barrage from his Vulcans sent another three of his enemies in flames.

Despite his early success, an impact from behind jarred Duo violently, sending him forward in the Gundam's harness painfully. He growled in irritation and swung around. "You're messing with the God of Death, not a good idea!"

Deploying Deathscythe's Buster Shield, he sent the suit forward in a burst of the engines, ramming into the offending mobile doll mercilessly. Heavily dented and sparking dangerously, the mangled piece of machinery only managed to stay aloft for another moment before exploding. The shockwave only rocked Deathscythe slightly, giving the impression of being on a boat at sea.

Smirking, Duo turned and blocked an advance from another doll with the shaft of his thermal scythe. With a shove, the enemy was sent back among the remaining five. Thankful that the stupid machines had not been tested with the AI chip yet, Duo turned machine cannons on the clustered dolls. Three of them took too much damage, bursting into flames and spiraling down towards the earth. Sizing up the remaining two mobile dolls, Duo smirked.

They came at him at the same time, wielding rifles and shooting at him. The heavy Gundamium armor took the brunt of the attack easily, and Duo readied his scythe. Sending an extra burst of power into the blade, making it flare dangerously, Duo pushed the controls forward and decimated the remaining mobile dolls with a neat horizontal sweep. This left them to detonate behind him, silhouetting the Gundam momentarily from the eruption of flames.

Hefting the now deactivated beam scythe over Deathscythe's shoulder, Duo grinned in victory. The rush of destroying the mindless mobile dolls added with the loud rock music made him feel good. Better than he had in days, actually. The mission had gone very smoothly, and his almost full day of bed rest previous had left him feeling a bit renewed. _That's probably why, _he thought to himself. _G has been running me ragged lately, and a chance to rest beforehand made this mission go well._

Just as he was about to turn and pilot back to the safe house, a concentrated beam of energy shot through the Gundam's left shoulder. Wincing from the force of the blast, Duo maneuvered his damaged suit to face the problem. Another shot from the ground based laser weapon slammed into Deathscythe's midsection. "Fucker!" Duo swore angrily, angling the controls to sweep down in an evasive pattern. Through dodging more blasts and approaching the ground quickly, Duo flipped a switch and the blade of the scythe returned, only now it was at the end of the shaft, forming a spear.

Narrowly avoiding one last attack from the ground cannon, Duo poised the spear back, jamming it into the dome from which the weapon emerged. Grinding and snarling his scythe in further, Duo propelled himself back, watching in satisfaction as the final defense fell. He snorted, deactivating the scythe once more and jetting away from the scene. "Sneak attack," he growled to himself. "Cowardly. It's too bad everything was destroyed by then, I would've enjoyed it a lot more had I been pissed about that cannon."

Grumbling softly still, the braided pilot activated his hyper jammers. Before he could even think, however, a new message alert appeared in the corner of the visual. Biting his lip, he debated whether to open it. It was either Heero with a few choice words, or Professor G with a new mission.

Neither sounded too appetizing.

Steeling himself, he typed a quick command on the console and the message opened up. A pre-recorded image of G appeared.

Duo groaned.

* * *

Some hours later, in the middle of the night, Duo was busy slaying more mobile dolls. He panted from the strain of a bullet wound in his shoulder. He was suddenly met with the scowling face of Heero Yuy, startling him and cutting off his visual momentarily. A blast from an enemy rifle slammed his Gundam to the side. "Damnit!" He switched the transmission from visual to audio, swearing colorfully. "What the hell Yuy! I'm in the middle of something here!"

Angry at being cut off visually, Heero snarled at his fellow pilot over the line. "Idiot! What the hell were you thinking?"

"I'm kinda busy here! Can we chat later?"

"NOW, DAMNIT!"

"WELL TOO BAD!" Duo screamed back, shutting off all communication lines. He snarled in rage, wielding the scythe with an angry fire now.

* * *

Heero swore and slammed a fist on the console of his Gundam. He didn't even bother with the lift wire, jumping down to the floor of the hangar in reckless anger. He seethed as he stalked back into the house, taking it out on the first person he came across. Unfortunately, that happened to be Quatre. "Why the hell didn't someone contact me about this?"

Quatre frowned, backing away a few steps. "Heero, we didn't want you distracted from whatever you were doing on the mission."

Heero growled, but Trowa stepped in front of Quatre defensively. "Yuy, stop."

Scowling, the Japanese pilot left the kitchen, his temper now under control. He brushed past Wufei silently, who was leaning against the doorframe of the kitchen. He followed Heero's retreat with one raised eyebrow. "He didn't wait, did he?"

"No," Quatre sighed sadly. "I heard him yelling at Duo over the comm. line of their Gundams. Duo didn't sound happy."

"I wouldn't be either," Wufei said quietly.

"Indeed. It sounded like he was in the middle of battle."

Quatre looked at Trowa, nodding. "I imagine Heero taking up his visual screen suddenly wasn't the most welcome thing in the middle of a mission."

Wufei scowled. "Expect confrontation from Yuy when Maxwell returns."

They all agreed somberly.

* * *

Duo was thoroughly wiped by the time the safe house came into view. He was bitter as he noticed the rising sun on the horizon. "Time zones," he said with a derisive snort. "Gotta hate 'em."

Landing a little shakily near the entrance of the hangar, Duo eased Deathscythe inside. Once the machine was crouched in the resting position and powered down, the pilot leaned back in his seat with a tired sigh. The quiet was welcome after the many loud explosions and constant whine of engines in the background. He unbuckled the straps of his harness, opening the cockpit of his Gundam and stretching once he was on the entry landing. Using the lift line to ease down to the floor, he trudged towards the kitchen entrance.

As Duo stepped through the doorway, the dim kitchen was flooded with light, making him blanch from the sudden change. When his eyes adjusted, he inwardly groaned. Heero had waited up for him, apparently, and the angry pilot stood before him with crossed arms and his patented death glare. "Well?" he said in his usual monotone, though it was laced with anger underneath.

Duo sighed, rubbed a hand across his face. "Can't this wait until later, Heero? I haven't slept in almost a full 72 hours."

"Too bad," he sneered, mocking Duo's earlier words of dismissal. "What in the world were you thinking? We all need to be ALIVE for this war!"

"I didn't do it on purpose!" Duo shouted, losing his temper from the stress and lack of sleep.

"What's going on in here?" Quatre asked from the doorway, looking like he'd just awoken. Trowa and Wufei peered around him curiously.

Heero ignored the interruption, rolling his eyes. "Oh, right, the glass just danced across your wrist on its own."

Growling, Duo stalked forward and gave the other pilot a hard shove. "Grow the fuck up, Yuy! Give me some credit for once in your life! You think if I wanted to die I would waste time with slicing my wrists open? I have a self destruct mechanism too, you know! YOU'RE the suicidal one, not me! Even a gun would have been neater!"

Bristling at the comment, Heero scowled. "So, what? You were just looking for attention?"

Not even Heero saw it coming, and he stumbled backwards when Duo's fist connected with his jaw mercilessly.

"You're such a bastard!" the American shouted, furious. "I never thought you could say something so heartless, not even you!" With that, he whirled on his heel and stormed out of the kitchen, mindful of the other pilots when he slipped past them. No amount of anger for Heero could make him take it out on the others, especially Wufei, who'd been so kind to him since this whole thing started.

Rubbing his jaw in shock, the Japanese boy scrambled to his feet. "I'm not done with you yet!" he shouted at the retreating pilot.

"TOO BAD!" Duo shouted back. "Leave me the fuck alone!" The statement was punctuated soundly by the American's door slamming shut loudly.

The house was left silent with the marked end of the confrontation, and all eyes focused on the now deflated Wing pilot.

Quatre broke the silence first, sounding ashamed and sad. "How could you say such a thing, Heero? How could you do that when he'd given his honest word to Wufei and me that he didn't do it consciously?"

Wufei scowled at Heero. "Good job Yuy. I seriously doubt he'll be willing to talk to you for a while. But did you have start something before he'd even had a chance to rest?"

Trowa didn't say anything, merely standing silently and staring at Heero with a disapproving look.

Running a frustrated hand through his hair, the Japanese boy sighed, realizing what he'd done. "I was angry..."

"That's no excuse," Quatre said sternly.

Going back to his cold indifference, Heero grunted, moving out of the kitchen. "I'll... talk to him later. Once he's had some rest."

Shaking his head sadly, Quatre rubbed at his eyes. "I doubt he'll want anything to do with Heero so soon." The other two nodded their agreement. "I'm going to check on him," the blonde said quietly, making his way out of the kitchen and down the hall to Duo's room.

Testing the knob gently, he found it to be locked. The Arab gave a light knock, wary that his friend might already be asleep.

"Fuck off," came petulant admonishment from within.

"Duo?" Quatre called softly. "It's me..."

A moment of silence followed tensely, and he was starting to turn away when the quiet unlatching of the lock stopped him. Testing the door again, Quatre was able to enter, shutting it behind him. Duo was sitting on his bed, already dressed for sleep. He was in a pair of shorts that had once been sweatpants, cut off at the knees, and a faded t-shirt. He looked absolutely drained, the anger gone and replaced with exhaustion, physical and emotional. He peered up at Quatre through his bangs, offering a weak smile. "Hey."

Feeling relieved at the show of acceptance, Quatre sat on the bed next to his friend, placing an arm around Duo's shoulders. It was ironic, because he gesture was more suited to the American. "How are you doing, Duo?"

"Okay," the boy replied. "I just need some sleep. I've been up since the morning I left you guys. I got another mission just as I was heading back from the first."

Nodding in understanding, the blonde smiled. "Are you hungry? Do you want something to eat before you conk out?"

Laughing quietly, Duo realized what an affect he'd had on the little Arab and his vocabulary. "No, I'll eat later. Too tired right now."

"Alright." Quatre let it go easily, still smiling. "I'll change your bandages later once you've rested and showered."

Pulling his friend into a hug, the braided boy let out a content sigh. "Thanks, Kat. You're the best. I really appreciate how you and 'Fei have been there for me during this."

Returning the embrace fully, Quatre patted the other pilot's back softly. "Don't worry about it. We're all here for you, even Heero."

Snorting, Duo pulled away. "Oh, come on."

"Don't get me wrong," the Sandrock pilot said somberly. "I'm pissed as hell at him for what he said, but you can't take it to heart. He was angry with and worried about you, and he didn't know how to express it properly so he lost his temper."

Sighing, Duo nodded. "I guess so. That doesn't mean I have to forgive him anytime soon."

"I'll leave that up to you," Quatre said with a smile, patting his friend on the shoulder. "Get some rest, I'll check on you later."

Shuffling down under the blankets, which had been re-made since his little episode, Duo called tiredly to the retreating blonde. "Thanks, Kat."

Smiling, Quatre just flicked off the light and shut the door upon his exit.

Duo was fast asleep within seconds.

* * *

Woo, it's only by about 600-700 words, but this is the longest chapter yet of this story. I hope you liked this chapter, some Duo-kicking-ass action. =3 Poor Duo, we'll see what happens soon. Enjoy for now.


	4. When We Confront

Red Means Stop

Chapter 4: When We Confront

* * *

Duo woke up some time later to a dull ache in his shoulder, wincing when he tried to move. "Damn," he mumbled. "Probably should've done somethin' bout the gun wound..." Lying still for another few minutes, his eyes moved about the room slowly. The sun was setting, casting a warm orange glow. "Must be about 8:30..." he guessed sleepily. So he'd slept over 12 hours.

Slowly, Duo eased himself off of his stomach, which he'd rolled onto sometime during his sleep. Using his good arm, he pushed his torso up further, satisfied when he got a good crack out of his stiff back. From there it was easier to roll out of bed, standing a little wobbly from the head rush. The braided boy made his way over to the dresser in the corner, pulling out some clean clothes and grabbing the white towel from the back of the computer chair.

The hallway was empty when he crossed it, disappearing into the bathroom. He set his things on a closed hamper near the sink, removing his sleeping clothes. Once those were piled on the closed lid of the toilet, Duo stepped up to the mirror. Gazing ruefully at the haphazard bandage job he'd done in the middle of the last mission, he gingerly started removing the white strips. As the last of it came off, he tossed the bundle into the trashcan, wincing at the sight of his wound.

He looked first at the point of entry, then turned to observe the exit wound, thankful there had been no need for spur-of-the-moment surgery. He'd done that before, and it had not been fun...

Turning on the water in the shower and waiting for it to adjust, he stepped into the spray. After the initial pain from the contact of hot water to the bullet wound, Duo sighed in bliss. Once his hair was thoroughly soaked, he set to the task of washing it, which proved to be difficult. Any movement upwards made his shoulder scream in pain, and the boy was reduced to using one hand to wash his suddenly troublesome hair.

When his shower was finished, Duo stepped out and awkwardly toweled himself dry with one hand while cradling the other arm to his chest. All the movement was really starting to spike the pain, and it was getting harder to do simple tasks. Suddenly, a thought hit him. How was he going to braid his hair? Certainly his shoulder couldn't take that kind of strain for that amount of time. Grumbling, Duo resigned himself to the fact that he'd have to ask for help.

A fully dressed Duo poked his head out of the bathroom, still damp hair hanging around him in a curtain. He hated for anyone to see his hair down, but one attempt of trying to braid it himself left the wound bleeding once more and smarting painfully. "Quat?" He called uncertainly, stepping into the hallway. He carried a first aid kit under his good arm, hand clutched onto a brush and hair tie. Heading towards the living room, he poked his head out. "Quatre?"

"He's cooking."

The sudden voice behind Duo made him jump, wincing from the movement. He turned to face Trowa, who was looking at him oddly. "Do you need help?"

"Uh, well..." Duo started. "Yeah, I guess. Could you?"

"What's wrong?"

"Uh, well, I somehow managed to bandage it myself before, but now I'm having trouble." To further explain the situation, Duo pulled down the loose collar of his black t-shirt, revealing the bullet wound on his shoulder.

Trowa's visible eyebrow hiked up a little in surprise. "Of course."

They moved to Duo's room and sat on the bed. Duo removed his shirt and winced when Trowa cleaned the wound with disinfectant. He then held two pieces of gauze to his shoulder, one for each side of the bullet hole, as Trowa started to wrap bandages around his upper arm.

"When did this happen?" Trowa queried quietly as he worked.

"Sometime into my second mission. I was almost to my Gundam when a soldier managed to get a shot on me. I managed to get a crude bandage around it in the few minutes before the mobile suits found me, but I suppose it should be done right, now that I have the chance."

"You know Quatre's going to be angry with you for not telling him before you went to sleep."

Nodding sheepishly, Duo grinned. "I know. Quatre is a force to be reckoned with in mother hen mode. But I kinda forgot to mention it at the time, I was so out of it."

Trowa nodded knowingly, tying off the bandage snugly. "All set."

"And uh... one more thing..." Duo looked embarrassed, they all knew he hated asking for help. "Could you braid my hair for me? That also ended in spectacular failure."

The other pilot merely took the brush without question. For Duo to give up and ask someone else to braid his hair spoke volumes about his condition. The American never even let them see it down if he could help it. It was a very personal thing to him, his hair.

Most of the tangles Duo had already managed to work out, but Trowa brushed through the entire mass for good measure. He'd never braided before, but he caught on easily enough with the 'over, under' instruction from Duo, and before long, the long hair was twined into a neat plait.

Duo smiled when he felt the braid, feeling less vulnerable now that his hair wasn't hanging loose. "Thanks, Tro'."

The European nodded and returned the smile with a slight quirk of his lips, the most anyone ever really saw from him. "Dinner will be ready soon."

Once the tall boy had left, Duo couldn't help but smile in relief. Trowa hadn't acted any differently than he normally did, and there had been no awkward questions like 'why did you do it?' _He must believe me, then. Otherwise he would be acting put off, or weirded out or something._

Feeling better, he wandered out of the room and into the kitchen. The smell hit him immediately upon entering, and he almost collapsed. "Oh, man!" Quatre turned to look at him curiously, eyes wide. "Quat, baby, you've just stolen my heart! It smells like heaven in here!"

The blonde giggled slightly. "Oh, Duo, it's nothing special."

"Says you to a starving man."

Quatre smiled. "You're obviously feeling better."

Grinning brightly, Duo set about getting the plates and silverware. "Much, actually. And I'll feel even better after some food."

As the American leaned over to set the plates on the table, Quatre caught a glimpse of bandages from beneath the slipping shirt collar. "Duo, are you hurt?" he asked, worry clear in his voice.

Blinking, Duo grinned sheepishly. "Yeah, but Trowa patched me up, no worries."

Quatre huffed, looking stern. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Well, I was so tired, it kinda slipped my mind?" he offered feebly.

Rolling his eyes, Quatre sighed. "I suppose there's no point in yelling at you, since you at least had someone look at it."

Feeling insanely lucky for narrowly escaping a lecture, Duo finished setting the table with a dumb grin on his face. All he could think was that he'd just cheated death after not telling the mother hen of the group about a bullet wound. It wasn't long before Wufei entered the kitchen.

"Maxwell, how are you feeling?"

"Much better, thanks," Duo said with a smile. He didn't feel up to teasing, remembering how nice Wufei had been to him lately.

The Chinese boy nodded, looking somewhat pleased. "Winner, shall I gather the other two?"

Quatre turned around, nodding. "Yup, it's just about done."

It wasn't long until they were all sat down at the table, chatting idly like normal and enjoying their meal. However, Duo pointedly ignored Heero that evening. Instead of the usual teasing, he simply didn't speak to the Wing pilot more than necessary. Heero didn't seem too affected, but he would glance up at the braided boy from time to time and furrow his eyebrows a little more than usual.

The others seemed concerned about this behavior, but they knew it wouldn't last forever. Duo was a forgiving person, and they knew soon he'd find it in his heart to cut the Wing pilot some slack. But first Heero would have to apologize, or at least attempt to. This was no normal falling out. Usually Duo would sulk for an hour or two and forgive Heero without even being asked. But it was apparent this time that he was really hurt and angry from what had gone down.

After dinner, all five more or less dispersed to do their own things. Quatre and Heero were taking care of the dishes, it being their turn that day. Trowa disappeared to play his flute, and Wufei was in the living room with his book, reading glasses firmly in place. Some ten minutes later, Duo wandered in, flopping into the old, overstuffed arm chair and wrapping himself in a blanket he'd toted with him.

It was silent for some time, until Wufei spoke, not even looking up from his reading. "You know, in our line of profession, you can't ignore him forever."

Duo shrugged casually, his eyes wandering to the book Wufei was holding, trying to read the title. "I don't plan on ignoring him forever. Just until he gets over his 'holier than thou' attitude and apologizes. Or something close. When he makes an effort I'll get over it."

Wufei's relaxed posture didn't change, but there was the slightest furrowing of his brow. "And if he doesn't?"

Duo smiled in response.

Letting the unanswered question go for the moment, Wufei brought up something that had been on everyone's mind. "You know," he said seriously, "We still have that previous discussion to continue. The one that got interrupted when you left for your mission."

"Looking forward to it," Duo said with a grin, masking his displeasure. He'd been hoping that had been forgotten. No such luck. "Can't wait for Heero to drill me for a confession that I did it for attention."

At the mention of Heero's accusation, Wufei scowled. "If he does I'll flay him. Or Winner will. Winner is the only one who seems to be able to intimidate Yuy."

"Which is pretty damn funny," Duo said with a wicked grin. "Little innocent Quatre giving Heero a verbal lashing. He actually backs down when Q-bean starts shouting. But then again, that is pretty damn scary."

"Duo."

The boys looked up in unison, spotting Heero in the doorway of the living room, looking uncomfortable. Duo sent a victorious smile Wufei's way and turned to address the Japanese boy. "Yes?"

"Could I speak with you for a moment?"

"Of course," said Duo, standing up from his armchair and pulling the blanket close around his shoulders. Wufei watched the two walk outside of the safe house through the sliding glass door, amazed at the intuition displayed by the braided pilot.

Outside, Duo took a glance up at the night sky, awed by the brightness of the stars as always. When Heero cleared his throat uncomfortably, the other boy looked at him again. "So," Duo started. "Something you wanted to say?"

"When..." Pausing, Heero grunted in frustration. "About this morning, what I said..."

Tilting his head inquiringly, Duo didn't push. He knew this kind of thing was incredibly difficult for Heero, and he wasn't going to make it harder, despite his anger and resent over the comment.

"I... apologize."

Slinging an arm around his friend's shoulders, Duo grinned. "Accepted. Even though you royally pissed me off."

Grunting under the weight of Duo's arm, Heero bit out the words that were so hard for him to articulate. "I was... angry that no one had informed me of what happened until I got back from my mission. I was worried about what it meant. I lost my temper."

"I understand," Duo stated lightly, separating from Heero so they could both sit down on the edge of the porch. Duoeero chuckled. "Hell, I can't help but agree that it sounds far fetched." There was silence for a moment, and Duo glanced sideways at the Japanese boy. "What do you think?" He left it open, not a 'you believe me, right?' but not a 'you think I'm lying,' either.

Heero took a moment to gather his thoughts. He was not one for stumbling through a sentence while looking for what to say. Finally, he spoke. "It does sound odd," he said, bringing a frown to Duo's face. "But, I've never known you to do anything like this before, or lie," he said in a calculated way, glancing at his companion. "So why start now."

Duo grinned, feeling pleased. "Thanks, 'Ro."

Heero gave a short nod, thankful that he had dispelled the situation. If the two couldn't get along it would throw off their missions. That, and the fact that, dare he say it, he felt remorse for the outburst. He resisted a frown. It seemed the other pilots were slowly wheedling the perfect soldier out of him, especially this one.

They sat in silence for a long moment until Heero finally spoke. "Why?"

"Why what?" the braided boy asked in confusion.

"Everything you do," Heero said in frustration. "You act like we're on some vacation, not fighting a war."

Caught off guard by this sudden inquiry, and by the fact that Heero seemed a little confused himself, Duo tilted his head to the side slightly. "Well, why not have a little fun when you have the chance? Sure we're fighting a war, but come on, we're teenagers, Heero. I act like that way because I'd go crazy otherwise. I wasn't raised with discipline like you guys, I can't just clam up and sit quiet for the next hand of death I have to deal out."

"We don't _have _a choice. We're soldiers. It doesn't matter how old we are."

"But that's just the thing, Heero!" Duo's voice was suddenly frustrated. This very topic had plagued him constantly since he started fighting. "Sure, fine, we're soldiers, but we weren't meant to be. We're just five kids who got thrown into a war, y'see? Even you, I doubt the moment you were born someone held you up in good light an' said, 'hm, yup, this one looks good, perfect soldier,'" he said with a cheeky grin, under control once more.

"The details are unimportant," Heero grunted, not seeing the point. "I am the Perfect Soldier. It's what I was trained to be."

"Well sure, you're _supposed _to be the perfect soldier. But come on, Heero. No one's perfect. You'd have to be a robot to even come close," Duo said, leaning back with his hands supporting his torso. "Say you are the perfect soldier, beyond that you're still a human. Humans feel, love and hurt. And you're not without emotions."

Heero frowned, the words of the boy next to him conflicting. Of course he had emotions, Dr. J had always told him to act on his emotions. But... "And you came to this conclusion, how?"

"Uh, duh," Duo said with a silly smile. "We're friends. I know how you work. I know how all of my friends work. I may not look it, but I observe plenty."

Smirking, the Japanese pilot folded his arms over his chest. "So you think you have me figured out?"

"Of course not," Duo replied. "No one can know everything about someone else. But I can confidently say that I have a good picture of you all."

"And what does my picture illustrate?" Heero asked blandly.

"Your painting," the braided boy said with a small smile, looking up at the sky. "You, I see trying your best to be what you were raised to be, the Perfect Soldier. But you also follow your heart. Between those two things you get a little confused sometimes, but you always figure out what's the right course to take for the sake of our cause as Gundam Pilots, even if it means your own life." This last part was said a little sadly.

Refusing the natural urge to blink several times to clear his surprise, Heero was spared from forming a response when someone opened the door behind them.

"Heero," Quatre said in a serious voice, and the two of them immediately tensed. Heero was up on his feet first, making a beeline for the laptop that was making a desperate quip for attention. Duo and Quatre were right on his heels.

The Japanese pilot sat down quickly, he'd never thrown himself onto the couch before and never would, and opened the machine. There was no new message, but the security system was going ballistic. He brought up the view of the proximity line around their position, quickly finding the source of the disturbance. Zooming in on the flashing section of the alarm, he picked out an image of what appeared to be several troops of people. "Damnit," he swore, slamming the laptop closed and standing up. "Oz soldiers have just broken our proximity alarms two miles west," he said in a no-nonsense monotone. "Our position is compromised, be ready to move out in two minutes. Go!"

And just like that, all five pilots shot off in different directions. They'd gone through this before, but it never lost the gut wrenching feeling of knowing the enemy was coming. It didn't take long; all five always had their meager possessions stowed in a duffel bag for quick escapes such as this.

Duo was in his room, throwing on a change of clothes and wincing every time the bullet wound in his shoulder was moved too much. He threw the other clothes into his duffel, as well as his brush that he'd left lying on the bed before dinner. Taking a hurried glance around to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything, something half hidden under the bed caught his eye.

"Duo!" Quatre called from the hall. "Hurry up!"

"Coming!" Duo hollered back, grabbing the newspaper and stuffing it into his duffel before zipping it up and jamming his feet into the black combat boots near the dresser. Hobbling out of his room, he almost ran into the blonde Arab, who had most likely just come around to hurry him. He flicked off the light switch, joining Quatre in running towards the front door. When they arrived, the others were already waiting, so the five of them took off outside.

The trek to their hidden mobile suit hangar was a mile uphill, thankfully in the opposite direction of the approaching soldiers. They ran quietly, breathing calm and controlled even in their haste. There was just enough moonlight to be able to see any uprooted rocks or fallen branches on the forest floor. Some nocturnal animals scattered upon their approach, watching from a safe place as five teenage boys moved with dire purpose through the brush.

It was a rare luxury to be stationed in a safe house that had a hangar for their Gundams, courtesy of the 'Powers That Be.' So there was no worry about hiding their mobile suits in the surrounding forest or other places. When they arrived upon the location of the bunker, Heero pulled open a hidden trap door that blended in perfectly with the surroundings. They filed in quickly and Heero brought up the tail end, shutting the door before slithering down the ladder.

The five boys each vaulted up to their individual Gundams, powering up systems and running quick diagnostic checks. Heero's voice came in other the short range audio channel, keeping it strictly between them. "Coordinates for our next safe house are being sent now. Moving out in... shit."

"Heero?"

"Enemy mobile suits approaching. Two dozen in total, coming in quick. Engage in combat until they're taken out. After which, spread out in different directions then head towards the coordinates. Rendezvous at 0400 hours. Move out!"

The hangar opened with a creak and all five Gundams filed out just in time to see the first of the mobile suits over the horizon. They were all heavily armed Leos, but it was nothing they hadn't dealt with before. The first enemy suit took charge, kneeling down and shouldering a heavy cannon. It only took a few seconds to charge up and fire, and the resulting blast of energy sent the Gundams in different directions. Heavyarms immediately took the enemy by surprise, incorporating Trowa's acrobatic style to land right in front of their opponents. His gattling guns made quick work of the cannon toting mobile suit.

As if the flag had been waved, the other four moved into action. Another battle, another escape to live another day and fight.


	5. Just Breathe

A/N: Apologies, again, for taking so long to update. For a while, this poor chapter was like an unfinished sandwich. I had the bread, the beginning and end, all set up, but it lacked lunchmeat. D: But I finally got it finished, and here she is! I hope you guys like it, I can't believe how popular this story has gotten. With 13 favs, 27 reviews, and 38 people who're signed up for alerts, it's my most successful story so far. Not to mention I'm actually keeping up with chapters, however slow. Usually I'm terrible at writing longer stories, and am more strongly suited to one shots.

And even though I don't do reviewer responses, I'd like to thank everyone who's left me feedback, especially my regulars. I really appreciate it, and it helps give me the will to keep going with RMS. =)

So, here's the latest chapter, I hope you all enjoy!

* * *

Red Means Stop

Chapter 5: Just Breathe

* * *

One by one, the Gundam pilots gathered at their new safe house. Their arrival times ranged within a two hour time span, closing up at four a.m., their scheduled rendezvous. The safe house was a quaint country side home that had been abandoned for several years, showing this by the state of disrepair. It was a little two story house with a roomy front porch and a swing. In an ideal summer setting, the surrounding country side would have been lush and beautiful.

But considering they were now stationed in Russia in the coldest part of winter...

"Bitch-ass freezing cold!"

A string of fluent curses marked Duo's descent down the hill from the forest in which he'd hidden his Gundam. He _hated _being cold. As if he didn't get enough of it living on the damn streets for most of his life, now he had to sit out in the middle of nowhere at its coldest. He was wearing a long sleeve shirt and a sweater, but that didn't seem to be cutting it. "Why did Heero pick a goddamn safe house in Russia during the _winter _of all times? God I could just smack that guy."

He was the third to arrive, subsequent to Heero and Quatre and prior to Wufei and Trowa.

As the last of them entered together, they were greeted by the sight of Quatre and Heero going over a report on the laptop. A mass of heavy blanket, which they could only assume was Duo, spoke in an annoyed voice. "Tell me again, Heero. _Why _Russia?"

Even though the Wing pilot hadn't given the barest explanation as to his choice. He had waited until everyone was gathered. And seeing the two in the doorway, he proceeded to enlighten them.

"I called up a list of secure locations and this was the first. We had to put distance in between us and them," Heero grunted in his usual monotone, fingers clacking away at inhuman speeds on that damn laptop. "I didn't have time to pick a tropical island for you. Once things have settled down, we'll find a less hostile environment."

The cocoon of blankets spoke again, shifting slightly. "And when might that be?"

"At least a week. We can't be jumping around while Oz troops are still swarming and looking for us."

Duo groaned from his pile of blankets and his head appeared, blinking dazedly in the light. He then noticed Trowa and Wufei standing in the doorway. "Oh. Hi. Lovely weather, isn't it," he grouched, curling up in the blankets once more.

"Hello to you too," Trowa mused with a small smirk.

They knew all too well how much Duo hated cold weather. It was enough to put even him in a bad mood. Anywhere else he could look on the bright side of things and try to cheer everyone up. But right now he was too cold to give a damn.

"So, if this little meeting is done, I'm going to go sleep, considering that's what normal people do at this hour," Duo muttered, standing and gathering the blanket around him as armor against the evil cold.

"Sleep well, Duo," Quatre said pleasantly. "Should I wake you for breakfast?"

"Best let me come out of it on my own, Q. But if a mission in the Bahamas comes up, I call dibs. Touch it and die." With that, his gracious presence was gone from the room.

The blonde boy chuckled softly. "He's certainly not a morning person."

"Don't lull yourself into a false sense of security," Wufei offered calmly. "If it weren't for the temperature freezing his engines he'd be running your ear into the ground like usual."

"I suppose so," Quatre said with a fond smile.

"What are we going to do about him?" came the query from Heero, who was miraculously not typing away anymore. The question brought the mood to a more somber note, but it was something that had to be dealt with.

"Heero," the Sandrock pilot said with a frown, "Surely you don't..."

"No," he interrupted, blue eyes serious and stern. "I believe him. But what's to stop it from happening again?"

There was a silence throughout the room.

"Well, what can we do?" Trowa asked softly, bringing the attention towards him. "We can't have someone babysitting him 24/7."

"He wouldn't stand for it," Quatre mused, frowning. "But we have to do something... next time he could bleed dry and no one could notice until it's too late!"

"Then we'll get to the root of the problem," Heero's stern voice cut in. He stood up, folding the laptop closed and tucking it under one arm. "We have at least a week to wait out Oz troops scouring for us. Now get some sleep."

As Heero left the room and made his way down the hall, the others remained silent in contemplation. The Japanese boy was right. It was the only thing they could do. It was also very important that they do it soon, or they could loose their Deathscythe pilot...

* * *

Later on that morning, or more like afternoon, was when they next saw the braided wonder appear from his lair. He was showered and dressed, but he still looked a tad zombie-like. Several layers of clothing did not seem to do much against the cold, by the look on his face. The other pilots were scattered around the living room, looking decidedly less miserable than their comrade.

Duo set about rummaging through the kitchen for something to eat. There wasn't much in the way of food, limited to canned soups and freeze dried noodles they had been able to bring with them. Not to mention Heero's seemingly unlimited supply of ration bars. Duo pouted at the poor choices for sustenance, wishing for some lovely eggs sunny side up, using toast to mop up the warm, delicious yolk...

Very suddenly and out of nowhere to the casual passerby, Duo gave himself a sound slap to the face. "Stop it," he whispered bitterly.

"Duo?" came Quatre's voice, making the braided boy turn around. The blonde looked confused and a bit wary. "Who where you talking to?"

"My stomach for being hungry. Or maybe my head for showing me eggs... Damnit, I just did it again."

Quatre smiled, shaking his head at his friend's antics.

"So," Duo said, grabbing a package of freeze dried noodles. "Do we have warm water here or do I have to heat up this gourmet meal over Deathscythe's engines?"

* * *

Stomach filled with noodles brought back from the dead only an hour ago, Duo reached down to his duffel bag and pulled it up on the bed. He rummaged through it for his brush, but his hand ghosting against crumpled paper and he stopped. Eyes narrowing, the American pulled out the newspaper he had so hastily stuffed away less than 48 hours ago. Duo smoothed out the wrinkles as best he could and eyed the headline.

'_Gundam Destroys OZ Factory'_

Grinning, Duo raked his eyes over the picture of his Deathscythe. He didn't bother reading the article again, but the grin faded as he thought. He really didn't know why he'd felt the need to grab it, but it had ended up in his duffel in the end. He shrugged and put the folded news clipping back into the black bag before searching out his brush once more. He found it easily, and a little more digging produced a hair tie. The one he was currently wearing had been stretching a little thin lately.

Frowning as the dilemma of his arm once again came up, he stretched the limb out slowly to test it. A steady out and upward movement seemed okay at first, not painful enough to stop it. Luck ran out, though. As his arm was almost raised, a white fire laced through his shoulder, earning a look on his face that hovered between a grimace and a scowl. Sighing, Duo resigned himself to the fact that his hair would be treated with less care than usual. Unless he wanted to have someone brushing his hair everyday for the next week or so. His nose wrinkled at the thought.

No. He didn't need to go crawling to Quatre or Trowa to brush his hair. He really didn't want to, either. People touching his hair was generally a no-no, and if it had to be done, he preferred Quatre to do it. He had been the only one to see his hair down until the other night, and that had been accident. He smiled a small, embarrassed smile as he remembered. Quatre had returned from a mission, noticing Duo in his bedroom as he passed the open door. Duo had just finished brushing out his mane and the blonde caught him off guard.

Quatre had absolutely gushed over his hair, but he'd acknowledged the unspoken boundary by not touching the hair or asking to. Duo smiled fondly at the memory. That small act had earned Quatre his trust when it came to the hair. He'd been reluctant to ask Trowa to do it the previous night, but he didn't want to make a big fuss over it by insisting it be Quatre to braid his hair. He wasn't that much of a whiny prude, no matter how much he cherished his hair.

Coming out of his thoughts, Duo hummed to himself and set the brush on the bedside table. "Another time," he promised his deprived hair, getting up from the bed. The braided boy picked up the throw blanket and whirled it around to rest on his shoulders like a cloak. Bundling himself up, Duo headed out of his bedroom with a book. Now, he liked reading, despite popular belief, but he would've _loved _to be outside. He may have been a true blue city boy, but he couldn't get enough of Earth's sprawling green fields and vibrant colors. L2 had always been so drab and gray. Not that he would've had time to admire the scenery if there was any...

He flopped onto the couch in the main room of the safe house, occupied by Heero, who was engrossed with his laptop. The Japanese pilot had spent most of his morning working with various contacts, trying to determine when and where would be the most suitable opportunity to move safe houses. Duo was the only one who openly complained, but none of them were too happy about their current location. Besides that, Heero saw it on a tactical level. Cold slowed down the human body and made it sluggish, coupling that with the fact that three feet of snow didn't make for good running conditions, they would be in a spot of trouble if they were found in this area.

Duo opened up his book, squirming around a bit to get more comfortable. The room was quiet save for the quiet tapping of Heero's fingers on the computer keys, and Duo's mind lulled into a quiet mindset as his eyes traced a path over the page.

Twenty minutes in, Heero closed his laptop and left, but Duo didn't notice.

_So I turned her over again and her face had gone black, Louis, and her eyes were bulging and her neck was swelled up. Then she died. I backed across the room. I guess I wanted to back out the door, but I hit the wall and a picture fell down-it was a picture from one of the Oz books that Zelda liked before she got sick with the meningitis, when she was well, it was a picture of Oz the Great and Terrible, only Zelda always called him Oz the Gweat and Tewwible because she couldn't make that sound, and so she sounded like Elmer Fudd. My mother got that picture framed because . . . because Zelda liked it most of all . . ._

Duo frowned as his mind went fuzzy. How long had he been reading for? He was unable to comprehend Rachel's run on sentences about her dead sister as he seemed to drift. He stared down at the page, willing himself to reread the huge paragraph and not let his eyes lose focus.

_Oz the Gweat and Tewwible . . . and it fell down and hit the floor and the glass in the frame shattered and I started to scream because I knew she was dead and I thought . . . I guess I thought it was her ghost, coming back to get me, and I knew that her ghost would hate me like she did, but her ghost wouldn't be stuck in bed, so I screamed . . . I screamed and I ran out of the house screaming 'Zelda's dead! Zelda's dead! Zelda's dead!'_

But to no avail. Duo's eyebrows furrowed slightly.

_He was at an old desk, reading a paper. The desk had been there already, and was old._

He rubbed at one eye, wondering at the sudden change of scenery in his head. He'd been picturing the words from the book. Was Rachel talking of someone else now? Had he skipped a page?

_The paper fell from his hands, landing on the ground in disarray. He was breathing heavily, unable to steady his thoughts as they raced. How could this happen?_

'_Gundam Pilot Executed'_

_No... it couldn't... how could that have killed Quatre? He'd just seen him at breakfast... His eyes swiveled around the room, dark and cold with a single light hanging above him. He wriggled his wrists futilely against the ropes restraining him. He had to get out before they got the others... couldn't... couldn't let them be killed too..._

_Someone walked into the room._

Duo sat up with a start, his book falling to the floor with a loud thump that made him jump. He blinked sluggishly, eyebrows furrowing. Then he looked up, realizing someone was calling his name.

"Duo?" Quatre asked quietly, looking concerned. "You were having a nightmare. Are you alright?"

"Uh," the braided boy replied intelligently, looking around as his mind caught up. "Yeah," he said finally, looking back at the blonde. "I guess I dozed off."

"Well it's time for dinner," the Arab said, still radiating faint waves of disquiet. "Come eat."

"Yeah," Duo replied quietly, shoving the blanket off of him. He looked around the floor as Quatre walked away, picking up the book. _What a weird dream... _he thought, flipping through the pages in search of his bookmark. "Great," he muttered, setting the hardcover on the coffee table. "Lost my spot." Duo stood up and wandered into the kitchen, plopping into his usual seat. Typically it was his job to set the table, but someone had done it for him to let him sleep. Duo stifled a yawn and accepted the bowl of condensed soup that was passed his way. "We need to go grocery shopping," he muttered.

Trowa allowed a small smirk from across the table. "Are you volunteering?"

"Yeah, sure," Duo said innocently. "If you're volunteering to be my left snowshoe. Who wants to be the right? Any takers? Oh, maybe I'll just affix a sheet of _metal _to your back, and we can snowboard into town, yeah? You an' me, Tro, fun stuff!"

The European boy rolled his eyes playfully before starting on his own soup. Despite his earlier complaining, Duo ate with his regular gusto. Condensed soup from a can wasn't bad at all, it could be quite good in fact, but he would've preferred spaghetti, or a baked potato. Against popular belief, the American _could _cook, and he liked it. It was a constructive, enjoyable activity that always yielded desirable results. He smiled at the thought. The only thing better than enjoying the results of his cooking was watching his _friends_ enjoy the results of his cooking.

He'd thoroughly relished the scene of his first cooking night with the other guys. When they'd first started staying together all in one safe house, Quatre had made a chart of chores. It detailed a seven day week for who would do what, and everyone rotated each day. Chores were always split equally, but the cooking was limited to those who actually could cook. Wufei and Trowa were both excellent cooks, but Heero and Quatre could not boil water to save their lives. There had been heavy wariness and debate about Duo cooking, but he'd made a big enough fuss about it that they let him be on the cooking rotation. He worked the Wednesday and Friday shifts, and the very first time he cooked...

_Duo set down five dishes around the table, practically radiating waves of delight and excitement. When he took his seat and stared at them expectantly, he smirked at the picture. Each pilot was staring down at the food in trepidation, as if they were being asked to face down an entire Oz squadron with no weapons. "Come on," Duo urged cheekily. "Dinner is served!"_

_Slowly, painfully slow, Quatre moved first, reaching for the fork and knife. The others watched in some sort of morbid fascination as the blonde silently volunteered to be the sacrificial lamb. He sliced off a piece of the chicken, bringing it eye level and staring it down in anxiety. Duo watched the whole thing like it was some TV show, elbows on the table, chin cradled in his hands and a half-lidded smirk on his face. Oh yes._

_Quatre swallowed, still eyeing the chicken. What would happen? It looked innocent enough, but it could be undercooked, overloaded with salt, marinated in some weird concoction, overcooked, any number of frightening possibilities. Finally, with a deep breath, he plunged the food into his mouth, pulling the fork away and chewing slowly. The other three leaned in for his reaction, waiting on bated breaths as they judged his facial expressions._

_Finally, Quatre swallowed._

_Heero, Trowa and Wufei leaned in further._

_Quatre stood from his seat, walked around the table, and faced Duo._

Well? _the others collectively thought, not even breathing._

_Quatre gave a deep, respectful bow at the waist._

_Duo died laughing._

That had been a sweet moment, watching as one by one the others tried his cooking and apologized for assuming he would burn the house down. Quite the contrary, everyone rather enjoyed the food, making Duo swell with pride. He was no fool, if he was a terrible cook, he'd have known. The braided American may have had a reputation for eating anything, but he knew good food, and wouldn't push rotten food on anyone. Well, except maybe Oz, but they probably already had terrible cafeteria food, so it didn't matter.

Once dinner was over and the dishes washed, it being Duo and Quatre's turn that night, everyone parted ways, left to their own devices as was usual. Duo tried to find his place in the book, Heero was once again immersed with the laptop(Duo swore he had a relationship with the thing), Quatre and Trowa were studying old sheet music they'd found in the upstairs closet, and Wufei was enjoying a thick novel of Chinese folk tales. It was a peaceful hour, an unusual state of calm over the five. Outside, the swirling cascade of snow could be seen, and beyond that, darkness.

Unable to find his spot, or his lost bookmark, which surely lingered either _in _or _under _the couch, Duo gave up and stood from the couch, bidding his fellow pilots goodnight so he could crawl into bed. He received quiet responses and headed down the hallway. In the bedroom, he changed quickly, the cold biting his skin where exposed. Duo had some trouble with his shirt due to the pain in his shoulder, but he'd had much worse.

Ready for bed, he threw back the covers and wrapped up in his throw blanket, crawling under the sheets and cocooning himself in. Slowly, the bed warmed from his body heat, and his eyes started to droop closed.

By the time Heero turned in about an hour later, Duo was fast asleep, burrowed beneath the blankets with a content look on his face.

* * *

Their stay followed the same general routine for the next few days, until the night of the fourth day in counting.

Duo stepped out of the shower with a towel wrapped around his waist, thankful he had brought a change of clothes into the bathroom with him. This way he wouldn't have to brave the icy cold hallway to the room he shared with Heero. The old house got pretty damn cold.

The American slipped on a clean pair of boxers and black sweatpants before shrugging into a long sleeved shirt. He took his towel and used it to wring as much water as possible from his hair before brushing it out. His shoulder had been bothering him less as it healed, and with a couple of aspirin, he'd been able to efficiently care for his mane once again, not to mention get in and out of shirts. As Duo gathered up the hair at the nape of his neck to detangle the mass, his thumb brushed against bare skin. He stopped in surprise when he felt some pain from the touch. Frowning, he reached up to the back of his neck to gently run a few fingers over the area, applying slight pressure.

When the pain came again, worry and suspicion flared up somewhere within him. Duo pulled his hair over his shoulder and turned his back to the mirror, peering desperately out of the corner of his eye to see his neck. There was a bare hint of dark coloring, but he just couldn't get a good look at it. Cursing as panic began to push for his attention, Duo rushed out of the bathroom, looking around desperately.

"Hey! Someone!" He trotted towards his room without even waiting for an answer, too busy keeping a reign on the dread growing like a weed in the pit of his stomach. "Heero!" he called, barging into their shared room. The Japanese boy looked up sharply from his position at the desk, fingers immediately halting their progress on the laptop. "Heero," Duo said again in a rush, moving forward as the Wing pilot stood. He turned around in mid stride, almost tripping and moving his hair out of the way at the same time. "Look at my neck, quick. Tell me, is there anything there?"

The American held his breath as he felt Heero's eyes intently scrutinizing his neck. A cold finger brushed his skin and the back of his shirt collar was pulled down before a rush of air left Heero's mouth. Just then someone stepped into their doorway. It was Wufei, looking tense and on alert. "What's going on?"

There was a brief moment of steely silence until Heero spoke.

"Puncture wound. From a syringe."

* * *

Ooohhh snap. :o Tell me what you think, huh?

And what Duo was reading was an actual excerpt from _Pet Sematary _by Stephen King, one of my favorite books.

And by the way, if anyone is interested in beta-reading for me, let me know and I'll drop you a line. =) I think I need one, because I'll have read over something ten times and on the eleventh time I'll notice something misspelled or that sounds weird.


	6. Falling Down

A/N: I'm really sorry for the wait. I would have had it up earlier, but I haven't heard from my beta reader in over three weeks.

* * *

Red Means Stop

Chapter 6: Falling Down

* * *

"Well?" Duo asked impatiently, one hand resting on the computer chair as he peered over Heero's shoulder.

Grunting in annoyance, the Japanese boy leaned back suddenly, squeezing the pest's fingers in between the chair and his shoulder. Duo yanked his hand away with an indignant squawk. "Be patient and let me work," Heero growled.

Duo flung his hands in the air with a huff and stalked away from the desk. "Patient, be _patient _he says! He's not the one with... god knows it could be a _mind control serum _in me!Ugh!"

"Duo," Quatre said calmly, despite how troubled he himself felt. "You need to calm down. Heero's doing his best."

"Calm down," the braided boy muttered disdainfully, as if Quatre had suggested he wade naked through the snow outside. He flopped himself onto the bed and gave a 'humph' of irritation. The other three watched him carefully, as if he would explode or throw a tantrum any moment, while Heero calmly ignored his actions. "Any normal person would be screaming their head off," he mumbled petulantly. "They don't inject shit right there for just anything."

Not that Duo wasn't screaming his head off on the inside. Oh yes, he was having quite the time in his own way.

Ever since Heero had spoken those five horrific words confirming his fears, the Deathscythe pilot had been flustering and freaking about the situation. What was he supposed to do? A needle puncture where his neck and head connected. What the hell would someone be injecting right there unless it was a freaking mind control serum or something?

And for that matter, _when _had anyone found the opportunity to get right behind him with a needle –which he _hated _by the way- and stick him in the neck without Duo knowing? He was wracking his brain for what had happened on his last few missions. The latest one, he hadn't even been out of his Gundam, so that possibility was ruled out. But the one before, in Belgium. He had gone into the base on foot, but there were no lapses in his memory from that time. There hadn't even been the slightest hitch while he was down there. What about before then? Maybe it was a slow acting injection?

With a start that made his whole body jerk, Duo suddenly realized he couldn't remember his recent missions before those two. Had the serum or whatever already started running its course? Where there any other signs...?

Duo startled the other pilots when he very much out of the blue slapped his forehead. "Duh!" he burst out, jumping from the bed. "It's so obvious!"

"Duo?" Quatre asked cautiously, clearly a little perturbed by the display.

"Don't you guys get it?" the Deathscythe pilot asked in a mixture of exasperation for their behavior and excitement for his discovery. He got blank looks from all but Heero, who was keeping an ear open but still scouring databases. "My episode!" Duo exclaimed, miming a razor blade and sweeping it across his wrist in a morbidly comical fashion. "Whatever the hell was injected into me must have something to do with that! I'm not insane!" he crowed joyously.

His audience didn't seem to share his enthusiasm, as they saw it from a different point of view. Quatre for one was looking pale. He was quite disturbed at the notion that his friend was possibly being... controlled somehow. What kind of poison or serum made someone do something destructive to _themselves?_ Unless...

"Hallucinogen?" Trowa asked the room quietly.

"I still say mind control," Duo replied, the only one not mulling over the possibility in silence. "What could I have hallucinated that made me slice my arms up in such shallow cuts?"

"He's right," Wufei interjected, looking pensive as his mind worked to solve the puzzle. "If it was something horrendous designed to make Maxwell kill himself, why would they let him go instead of killing him when they had the chance?"

"But what else is it supposed to do?" Quatre asked.

"Elementary, my dear Watson," Duo said in a stuck up accent, but only the blonde understood the reference. "They're trying to make you think I'm crazy."

"I thought that from the very first time we met," Wufei supplied helpfully, earning a glare from Duo.

"Maybe I'm supposed to flip out when you least expect it and betray you guys? Like they flip a switch and boom!" His voice suddenly went into a very heavy, strange accent from one of the old movies he liked to laugh at, the Terminator. "It's time to die, beetches!"

"I think I saw a vein pop out of his neck on that one," Trowa mumbled quietly.

Quatre sighed, knowing he'd have to diffuse the situation. "Please Duo, be serious about this."

"Found something."

At Heero's statement, the rest of the Gundam pilots immediately crowded around the laptop, earning an annoyed sound from the Japanese boy. He turned a death glare on them, which caused the others to back off and give him some space. Heero stood up and met Duo's eyes, silently offering the computer chair. The braided teen nodded his appreciation and plunked down in front of the computer, eyes riveted to the glowing screen as he took in the words.

_Research Log #002-459c_

_Log Time: 0400 hours_

_A recently captured Gundam pilot has been entered as a test subject for project Alpha Wolf. The planting of false information delivered pilot 02 into our hands. My colleagues preferred one of the other pilots, but General Une informed the team that this one would work quite well for our purposes. We received orders from the superiors to put him through the test and then release him, even though he could have easily been executed._

_Log Update: 1200 hours_

_The test subject's memories of imprisonment and testing have been altered to show a completion of his 'mission.' Release promptly followed. A risk has been taken in such action, but by our combined studies and previous tests, we are confident the execution of Alpha Wolf will be a success._

Duo paled more and more as he read, passing along the information out loud in a steadily weakening voice. The others were quiet when the report ended, and the braided American sat in a daze for a moment. Something clicked and nimble fingers flew across the keyboard, bringing up a search function with Heero's hacking program.

_Enter search: Alpha Wolf_

_Searching..._

_..._

_..._

_Two results found:_

_Research Log #002-459c_

_Data Log #459-000_

The top result was the research report he'd just read, so he selected the second file and ran an encryption hacking program to open it.

_Error: Data no longer exists_

_Enter Search: 459_

_Searching..._

_..._

_..._

_Two results found:_

_Research Log #002-459c_

_Data Log #459-000_

"Damnit," Duo cursed, running a hand through his bangs and down to his braid. When the pressure from the movement met the back of his neck, a dull pain flared and he jerked his hand away. Gritting his teeth, Duo cursed again and slammed his fist down hard on the old oak desk. Turning around in the swivel chair, he eyed the other pilots with a frown. "So what's the plan?"

"Meeting," Heero grunted. "In the living room." He took a moment to create a back door into the mainframe before shutting down the computer. The others followed him out of the room, with a pessimistic Duo heading up the rear of the procession. Once they were all seated, Quatre took the lead in the discussion.

"First thing's first," Quatre said. "We need to figure out what this Project Alpha Wolf is trying to accomplish." His face was calculating, fully submerged in the role of tactician as his brain worked to process the information. "As little as we've been given, we know the name of the project and the conditions of your imprisonment and release, and that's actually a good start."

He allowed a moment of silence for the first taker to offer their view of the situation. Surprisingly, it was the quietest of the group that spoke first. "Alpha Wolf would imply that Duo is supposed to assume leadership of some sort," Trowa volunteered thoughtfully, still easily heard in the tense silence even with his ever-soft voice.

Duo snorted, folding his arms across his chest and leaning back. "Me? Leader of what? You guys? Some rebel group?" He rolled his eyes sardonically. "Not in this century."

"While I find the notion of you being the leader of a rebel group rather disturbing, that is a very real possibility," Wufei replied. "'Alpha Wolf' suggests you being top rank in some sort of group hierarchy."

"Then why pick out me of all people?" the braided boy asked. "Why not Heero? He could bully us into a pretty wrapped package for Oz even if we realized something was wrong."

"They didn't know it was you," Heero supplied.

Quatre nodded. "Exactly. The information was vague enough to have the doctors let us choose who would go."

"But everyone knows who I am," Duo persisted.

"Everyone knows your _face _and that you pilot Deathscythe," the Arabian corrected, brushing a strand of hair from his eyes. "But no one knows that you specifically are the stealth specialist of the Gundam pilots."

"Point," he grunted in response. "Back to the leadership topic."

"Maybe whatever the testing consisted of was meant to subtly alter your behavior," the pilot of Sandrock suggested. "Not something so dramatic as to suddenly bust in the door and demand control, but a more discreet change. Like a slow altering in personality that is meant to seem natural."

"So what do they want me to do?" Duo asked incredulously. "Round you guys up like pigs for the slaughter? Do they want me to march you all into Oz territory?"

"Possibly," Heero mused. "The plan might involve a ploy to get all the pilots somewhere compromising simultaneously."

"Why would they let him go otherwise?" Wufei asked. He frowned in a contemplative way. "Why would Oz, with the opportunity to kill off one of the Gundam pilots, let him go instead? By wasting the very real chance to kill you in cold blood, they must have had a big payoff in mind."

"It's like tagging," Trowa said, taking the idea and rolling with it. "You capture one member of the pack and release them with a homing chip to monitor the rest..." he trailed off quietly. There was a tense moment of silence when everyone snapped to the same conclusion at once.

"Aw _hell _no!" Duo cried indignantly.

"Let's be calm about this," Quatre interjected hastily, cutting off whatever rash action or statement the Deathscythe pilot had been about to make. "It's been too long. If that was the purpose, why wouldn't they have come banging on the door by now? It's been far too long for that."

"But why _wouldn't _they put a tracking chip in me?" Duo asked, clearly disturbed by the notion. "If they had me in their hands like the report said..." he shivered at the thought. "Then why wouldn't they? If I'm dumb enough to fall into their trap, then why not assume I'm dumb enough to lead them to our doorstep?"

"Stop that," Quatre chastised. "You're not in any way lower than the rest of us. We _all _read over the mission details, and by what it described, you were the best one for the job. If it had been a demolitions stint, Trowa would have gone. No one saw anything wrong with the mission and false information," he declared, angry at Duo for being so hard on himself. Quatre knew very well that he would be reacting the same way, but he also knew Duo would put a stop to that as well.

The braided boy huffed in irritation. "Well I don't know what the hell they did to me, but I have a solution." The others studied him warily at the sudden proposal, curious yet intimidated by whatever it may be. "I need to leave," Duo deadpanned.

"You can't!" Quatre automatically protested. "We're a team and we're not going to abandon you!"

"Do you want me to put you all in danger?" the American returned heatedly, flinging his arms out. "We don't know what those freaks did to me, but I bet on my life it's something to round up _all _of us! I can't be responsible for that!"

"You won't be," the Wing pilot interjected in a loud, clear voice, putting a stop to Duo's rising temper. He gave the two a moment to cool off before speaking again. "We'll figure out what this is, and even if we don't, we _know _that they're planning something."

"We've become a team," Wufei said sternly, staring straight at Duo and making him squirm under the intensity. "We will not abandon our own and throw you out to fend for yourself."

"They're right, Duo," the blonde said. "If in the coming weeks anything out of the ordinary happens, we'll be expecting it and we'll be prepared. We won't let you go so you can take the world on your shoulders."

"Alright!" Duo proclaimed, holding his hands up. He was touched by the camaraderie but also peeved from being ganged up on like that. "Sheesh. What do you propose we do, then?"

"We will continue planning," Heero said. The Japanese boy let his stare rake over all of them to emphasize his next words. "We will dissect every possibility and be prepared for it. We won't be played into the enemies hand anymore. Now everyone get some sleep."

* * *

Later that night, as the other occupants of the house slept unaware, Duo slowly shimmied open the window of his second story room, making sure it didn't creak. _Like Quat said, _he thought ruefully, lowering his duffel down to the ground by a rope. _My forte _is _stealth. _He was damn lucky that Heero was downstairs guarding the front door in his sleep. The Japanese pilot had insisted on taking the couch to be aware of any intruders if there had been a tracking chip of any sort. Otherwise he wouldn't have been able to get out.

Duo jiggled the rope so the loose knot came undone, raveling it back up to hook to his belt. The American pilot then eased himself feet first out the window, slowly descending the side of the old house without even a creak to give him away. Once he was on the ground, he picked up his bag and made his way up the hill towards the hidden Deathscythe. He didn't mind that he was leaving tracks in the snow, as he would not be on foot for long.

Duo's breath puffed out white in the frosty night air as he jogged up the hill to keep warm. There was no other way about it, he had to leave his friends so they would remain safe. He was just lucky no one had made him promise to stay. The braided boy felt bad for leaving, but he had left a note for them, telling them he was sorry and to change locations in case Oz did know where they were. At least they knew that he'd left willingly, and not under Oz control as a result of whatever testing they performed on him. "I won't be responsible for their deaths," he huffed breathlessly, the wind carrying away his statement into the night.

When the braided pilot finally made it to his hidden Gundam, he opened a hatch on the left leg and keyed in the code for the lift cable. He shut the panel as his ride descended, hooking his foot into the loop at then end when it was close enough. Duffel in one hand, Duo used the other to firmly grasp the cable, kicking off and feeling himself rise. When he arrived at the open hatch of his Gundam, he tossed the duffel bag inside and then proceeded to climb in, Deathscythe's doorway closing with a hiss in his wake. Duo ran a quick diagnostic of the systems before powering up. The massive war machine came to life at his command, standing from the tree cover and shedding the blanket of snow that had settled in the past week.

The American gazed down at the little old house sadly, tugging his black cap over his eyes.

"Sorry guys."

No one would notice his absence until morning, which gave him plenty of time to run and hide.


	7. The Chase is On

A/N: Has it really been four months since I last updated? I'm sorry for the long wait, but the computer issue threw me back for a while. It's actually still dead, I just re-wrote what I could remember from this chapter and then went from there. I hope you like. We're coming to some more action real soon, so sit tight and thanks for bearing with me.

Lacuna: I'm glad you're enjoying the story so much. Your review made me laugh. xD

Borderline-Mary: I'm glad I defied your expectations. I don't like wangsty suicide fics, but I was willing to venture a little into that territory for the sake of a twisty plot.

Snowdragonct: Thanks! And I'd like to think that Duo just has that effect on people. Heero or Wufei would have probably suggested offing Duo near the beginning, but he just worms his way into your heart.

And to everyone else who's reviewed, faved and alerted this story, thank you so much! It really makes my day when I get feedback!

"_Text." _ = Video communication or prerecorded message

_Text = _Thoughts

"Text." = Regular speech.

* * *

Red Means Stop

Chapter 7: The Chase is On

* * *

The kitchen could actually be called a warm picture, despite the fact that it was occupied by soldiers of war who piloted death machines. The room was warmed by Trowa's cooking of scalloped potatoes and eggs, courtesy of his grocery run the other day. The smell of real food was a welcome sensation after nothing but rations and freeze dried noodles. Quatre was setting the table for breakfast, where Wufei sipped from a cup of steaming tea, reading a day old newspaper. Across from him, Heero was engaged with his laptop, as usual.

The entire scene looked like the usual happenings of a motley family, even though the house was filled with fifteen year old boys and no parents. Once again ignoring the fact that said boys were soldiers.

From the stove, Trowa maneuvered the skillet in a skilled flip, tossing the slices of frying potatoes into different positions to check that they had been cooked evenly. He swirled them around a little, hearing the satisfying sizzle of cooked food. "Someone wake Duo," he said quietly, turning a knob so the blue flames of the stove fluttered and died.

As the Heavyarms pilot continued tending to the eggs, Wufei was aware of eyes on him. He looked up to find Quatre staring at him with an expectant look, a stack of plates in his hands. He immediately caught on to the request before it was even voiced, nose wrinkling. "Would you bring him down?" Quatre asked.

Wufei looked down at his tea, imagining the battle it would be to get the American out of bed. His tea would surely go cold in the amount of time it would take. He looked back up at the blonde, frowning. "Must I?"

Quatre smiled indulgently, but continued. "Please, Wufei?"

Sighing once more, the Chinese boy folded his paper and set it down. He then took one last sip of his tea while it was still warm, bidding it adieu as he stood. Wufei mumbled something about lazy pilots as he made his way up the stairs, stopping in front of Duo's bedroom door. "Maxwell," he called, knocking. "Breakfast is ready. Out of bed, now."

He waited several seconds, but got no response. He rolled his eyes, having known it wouldn't be that easy. He knocked again, louder. "Maxwell! Wake up now!" Silence once again greeted him, and he growled. "Don't make me come in there!" he called, already reaching for the knob. Wufei turned it in one sharp motion, pushing the door open. His next threat died on his tongue as he took in the state of the room.

No clothes on the floor. No laptop on the desk. Bed made. No Duo _in _the bed. Open window. Note on the pillow.

Damn that boy to the deepest rings of hell.

* * *

Quatre, Trowa and Heero looked up curiously when they heard Wufei pounding down the stairs in a run, and something that was very likely swearing in some form of Chinese, possibly Mandarin. The pilot of Shenlong appeared in the doorway of the kitchen, hands landing on either side of the doorframe. He looked like a dragon that had been prodded one too many times.

"Wufei?" Quatre asked in concern, eyebrows furrowing.

The black haired teen gritted his teeth. The two words that left his mouth were the worst they could ever hope to hear in the current situation.

"He's gone."

* * *

Duo looked up from the controls when something beeped, indicating someone was trying to contact him.

He smirked.

"Looks like I've been caught out past curfew."

* * *

Back at the safe house, the warm kitchen picture had been transformed into that of frenzy and frustration. Trowa was silently going over the note Duo had left, while Wufei paced, uttering angry things under his breath that ranged from English to Chinese and back again several times. Heero's face was pinched as he did a search on his laptop, his cooling breakfast forgotten. Just then, Quatre entered from the backdoor, shaking snow off of his boots and looking distressed.

"He won't answer," the blonde said, removing his thick jacket. Thankfully, the safe house had been stocked with winter clothing in case they needed to use the location. "I must have contacted him at least ten times, but he just won't answer."

"That damned, braided idiot!" Wufei fumed, resisting the urge to lash out and kick the nearest object in his path. "How could he be so stupid as to pull a stunt like this?"

Quatre pursed his lips, ready to interject, but Trowa spoke first. "If he's the stupid one, why did no one see this coming?"

Silence met this, even from Wufei.

"Trowa's right," the blonde admitted in resignation. "We should have known he'd do this, especially since he didn't actually say he wouldn't leave." He cursed then, wringing his hands together. "That should have been the first thing, dragging out a clear promise without loopholes."

"Knowing that sneaky bastard, he still would have found a way to manipulate his words to get around lying to us," Wufei snarled, vocalizing what they all knew but refused to acknowledge. "Damn him!" he repeated. "If he doesn't end up killed I'm going to strangle him myself!"

"If we find him," Heero interjected calmly. "As I suspected, there have been no reports of activity last night. We have no leads as to where he went."

"And with the fresh snow from this morning, we can't even tell his flight path," Quatre murmured, the tactical part of his brain going over all possibilities. "We don't even know... Wait! Yes we do!" He turned to the Japanese pilot anxiously. "Heero, where was he sent for that fake mission? Wasn't it in France somewhere?"

Heero nodded, seeing where Quatre was going. "It was in Bordeaux."

"That must be where he's headed now," the blonde said. "He'll be looking to find better information about what was done to him."

"Moron," Wufei fumed, his temper subsiding a little with the possibility of a lead. "He's going straight into enemy hands."

"Which is why we have to go after him," Quatre insisted. "If he'd just waited, we could have come up with a safe plan. Not to mention back ups!" He sighed. "So what are we going to do? We can't all go get him, that would increase the chances of someone being noticed. There's also other missions we can't ignore."

"I'll go after him," Wufei grunted, earning surprised looks from the others. "I hadn't intended to use this as blackmail, but after caring for his injuries, I should be able to guilt trip the idiot into abandoning this fool-hardy solo venture."

The other pilots still looked slightly stunned, and it was Quatre who spoke first. "Guilt trip him?" The Chinese boy let out a 'hmph,' crossing his arms over his chest. Quatre actually laughed at this, understanding what was happening. "He's rubbed off on you! That's a Maxwell tactic!"

Wufei merely pursed his lips, silently fuming because he knew it was true.

* * *

As the day wore on, the pilots planned and debated and discussed. A good amount of the conversation focused on whether or not to contact the scientists. On one hand, they might consider Duo AWOL and order them to take him out for the sake of their success in the war. They all had input on the likely response of each individual, but they had no idea what the scientists would decide as a group. Their reactions had always been very unpredictable. Then Quatre had the most useful idea of the day.

"We should contact Howard!" he exclaimed upon the revelation, earning interested looks from the others. "I've no doubt that Duo is still looking at messages, even if he isn't responding to contact attempts. If Howard were to leave a message, there's a good chance Duo would call him back."

"But he still wouldn't tell Howard what he's up to," Wufei interjected, looking a bit skeptical of the plan.

"He doesn't have to," Quatre responded. "We can let Howard in on what's going on, but Duo doesn't have to know. If he just sends a message asking how he's doing, and then casually brings up Duo's location, we might get something."

"That might actually work," Heero mused, nodding. He turned away from his laptop to face the others, letting on that he had a plan worked out. "Wufei, you will continue with the plan to find him in Bordeaux, seeing as that's our only viable lead right now. We can't sacrifice the time it would take to get something from Howard. While you're doing that, Quatre will contact Howard and fill him in. If we get Duo's location and it's somewhere other than that, someone else will go. Again, we can't risk the time it would take for Wufei to turn around and come back."

Quatre nodded in agreement, seeing another point to the logic as well. "And Duo could very well be expecting something like this, which points to a possible false destination. He might tell Howard something, but he could very well be in either location."

"In the mean time, I will be scouring databases, and Trowa can watch the news for reports of Gundam activity," Heero said, checking his watch. "It is now 1100 hours. You all know your assignments. Wufei, set out as soon as you are ready. Quatre, your second job will be to employ another Maxwell tactic."

The blond raised an eyebrow curiously. "What are you planning?"

Heero smirked.

* * *

Duo groaned in frustration, resisting the urge to bash his head against the console of his Gundam. Honestly, couldn't they take a hint? Quatre had stopped leaving him messages, but now his communicator was going off every fucking five minutes. It was driving him mad.

"That's probably their intent," he grumbled, keying in the command to bring up Deathscythe's music database. He selected a playlist of relatively loud music, turning up the volume in an attempt to drown out the annoying beeping. Despite his best efforts, the sound could still be heard vaguely over his songs. He could turn it up louder, but he really didn't want to make himself deaf at an early age.

And it was just then that an icon flashed in the corner of his view screen, indicating not a contact pressing for acceptance, but a new recorded message. He sighed, expecting it to be Quatre again, but when he opened it the face of one very angry Chang Wufei greeted him instead. The visual crackled and shifted a little, but otherwise it was very clear, especially a certain pilot's annoyance with him.

"_Maxwell, you harebrained idiot! If you don't turn your ass around right now and return to the safe house, I'm going to throttle you when I find you! And I promise it won't be pretty! If you get yourself killed, so help me..." _he trailed off angrily, scowling. "_Don't make me come and find you, understood? Contact me back, right now!"_

As if Quatre's desperate pleading hadn't been guilt inducing enough, now he felt even worse. Here Wufei had been so nice to him lately when he could have easily punted him off to someone else, and he'd made them think he wouldn't go off on his own. Of course, he'd felt bad from the very moment he'd slipped out of bed fully dressed. They were just making it worse, those very-good-friend-bastards. Duo sighed, trying to ignore the little voice shouting at him that he was a numbskull.

_I know they're trying to help, but I can't put them in danger._

_You dumbass, they're Gundam Pilots too, not untrained civilians. They know what they're in for. You are such a complete and utter moron, you deserve to be flayed._

"Shut up," Duo hissed in annoyance, rendering the little voice silent. He shook his head, yawning tiredly. "Maybe I should stop for a little bit," he sighed. "Rest my eyes for a while. I don't want to be dead on my feet if something happens." The American nodded to himself, finding the plan to be a sound one. "Just an hour or two," he assured himself, changing his flight path to head for a nearby forest, perfect cover to hide Deathscythe while he caught a few winks.

* * *

Wufei was calculating how much longer it would take to get to Bordeaux when his contact alert beeped. He accepted the request and a visual of Quatre appeared in the corner of his screen. The blonde looked worried as ever. "_Any luck?_"

"No," the Chinese boy mumbled. "He won't respond to my threats anymore than your pleading. Any word from Barton or Yuy about Gundam sightings?"

Quatre shook his head, his bangs shifting from the movement. He took a moment to brush them out of his eyes. "_No. There hasn't been a word of activity, which is both a blessing and curse_."

Wufei sighed in annoyance, something he'd been doing a lot of today. "Did you establish contact with Howard?"

Another shake of the head. "_He's away on a salvaging job. It's supposed to end today, though. I left a message with the deckhand that answered my call, told him to let Howard know it was about Duo and it was important. He said he'd try to get a hold of him sooner, but he couldn't make any promises_."

The frustration was building again. Things were not going as planned. Not even Quatre's pestering of the wayward pilot was rendering results. Wufei felt more than ever the need to strangle Duo and shake some sense into him. He met Quatre's gaze once more, keeping his tone level. "Let me know if anything happens on your end. I'll do the same here."

Quatre nodded and the connection was cut, leaving Wufei to himself once more. "Maxwell," he growled. "You'd better not get yourself captured again, or..."

The unfinished thought hovered about his head like a storm cloud. He didn't want to think about that. Much as the Deathscythe pilot annoyed him with his endless chatter and ridiculous pranks, Wufei had found himself accepting Duo, along with the other pilots as comrades, despite his desire to keep his distance from everyone. They were his brothers-in-arms, his family, even. Now one of them was missing, and was getting himself into _even more _trouble. At the beginning of the war, he would have thought of this as a distraction, a threat to his own security, and the loss of a fellow soldier with the same cause. But now it was so much more than those petty objections.

This was a friend, a brother. A very thick headed friend who was going to get a beating, mind you. The Chinese boy pushed that thought away for later. It wouldn't do to get worked up over what he would do when he found the other pilot. Focus on the present, here and now. "Find him first then beat his brains in. Can't strangle if I don't find first," he mused, feeling a smirk tugging at his lips. There was Duo's influence again.

Wufei keyed in the command for another scan, listening to Nataku's comforting hum as she looked for traces of thermal residue and other mobile suits. He'd been starting over the same process every twenty minutes, but so far he'd gotten nothing of any importance. He could only hope Duo was predictable enough to be going to Bordeaux, otherwise his trip would have been a sheer waste of time they didn't have. The pilot of Deathscythe already had a good head start, they didn't need to be increasing it with a wild goose chase.

* * *

Duo mumbled a soft curse as something brought him out of sleep, rubbing his eye with one fisted hand. He shook his head groggily, wondering why there was such a horrible crick in his neck and back. Arching in a full body stretch, Duo startled when his feet hit something. Only then did he realize he was in his Gundam, and then he remembered setting up under forest cover for a nap. He grunted again, wishing he was back home in his warm bed, even if it was in Russia. Bringing his watch up, Duo's eyes widened in surprise and he tapped the digital screen in disbelief. "Shit," he cursed. "Hadn't meant to sleep this long..."

And then, having forgotten what woke him up in the first place, he jumped when the console pinged again. Oh. New message. He opened it, once again thrown off.

"_Heeey kid! I just got back from a salvaging stint and I've got something I think you'd like to see!" _Howard exclaimed, his eyebrows wiggling comically above those dark sunglasses. _"So call me back, brat. We haven't talked in a while!"_

When the recording ended, Duo deflated a little. "I guess I could call Howie. It wouldn't hurt." So he keyed in Howard's personal line and waited. It wasn't long before someone picked up, and Duo instinctively shrunk back when the entire screen was taken up by Howard's features, up close and personal.

"_Heeeey! Took you long enough!" _the man growled, pulling away from the screen.

Duo grinned. "Hey old man."

"_Old?" _Howard demanded, fuming. _"Brat, I'm not old, I'm refined!"_

"Just keep telling yourself that," the young Gundam pilot said with a smirk, which quickly melted into a real smile. "It's been a while. How you been, Howie?"

The older man smirked and folded his arms over his chest. "_It has been a while. You never call me you little ingrate! Honestly, I thought we were family, but apparently I have to harass you to find out if you're alive or not-"_

Duo playfully rolled his eyes at Howard's ranting, used to such displays from the salvager. "So what was this thing you wanted to show me?"

Howard paused, and although the braided boy couldn't tell for sure behind the dark sunglasses, he thought the old man had just blinked. "_Huh? Oh yeah! I just found this bitty on my last job. Hold on-" _He disappeared for a moment, and Duo could hear the vague sounds of papers and metal things being rummaged through. "_Hah!" _came the cry of triumph, and Howard reappeared. At the sight of what he held, Duo grew giddy and started bouncing.

"Is that-?"

"_Yup," _the old man said with a self-satisfied grin. "_A gyrostatic conductor."_

It was a small device composed mainly of a metal gyro with a core of twined copper wires in the center. On the outermost ring were two small rubber handles and three insulated wires with plugs at the ends. Duo's eyes practically glowed as he leaned towards the screen to get a better look, hands resting on the console. "I'm not drooling, am I?" He checked to make sure, thankfully finding nothing there. "Oh Howie!" he exclaimed, completely enthralled. "How did you get your hands on that? I've been looking for one forever!"

That toothy grin remained firmly in place. Had they been face to face, Howard would probably be holding it over Duo's head to watch him jump and reach for it. He could picture himself easily, tongue sticking out the corner of his mouth, arm waving in the air pathetically as he grappled for the prize. If he didn't get frustrated and scream '_DAMN SHORT STATURE!' _then he would probably end up tackling the old man to the ground.

"_Got it on the job I just came back from. We found a wrecked mobile suit on the bottom of the ocean, some experimental model, I think. It was almost completely trashed, probably because they didn't know how to use this," _Howard said, shaking the little device for emphasis.

Duo's eyes widened for a moment before he scoffed. "I should say so. Honestly, every idiot and their grandmother thinks they can add custom installs to a suit. Was the core of the suit all burnt out?"

Howard nodded. _"Completely ruined. All the wires, systems and hardware around this were melted. We pulled up the entire suit for parts, but it wasn't until we got it drained out and into the stock room that I had a chance to look at it." _He tilted his head a little so he was looking down his nose at Duo, a smug smile on his face. _"Imagine my surprise when I found this,_" the old man said, holding up the gyrostatic conductor.

Duo leaned towards the screen again, following the gadget's movement with his body. "Want," he said fixedly, almost without realizing it. He had to stop himself from reaching towards the screen, reminding himself that it wasn't physically there. "Where are you, Howie?"

"_We're in port right now, on the shores of western Portugal, I'll send you the coordinates." _Howard reached off screen and typed the information on his computer. _"Can you make it? We won't be here too long."_

Duo pulled up a global map and toggled to his own location while he waited for the coordinates from the old man. He realized he'd flown so far and so long yesterday that he didn't know exactly where he'd put down for a nap. The braided boy zoomed in on the map, realizing just how much distance he'd covered since leaving late the other night. He'd made it from a remote area somewhere outside of St. Petersburg all the way to Poland, almost 700 miles. The console beeped as he received the message with the old man's coordinates. His face lit up when the map showed him exactly where Howard was. "You're right in the direction I'm going!"

"_Oh yeah?" _Howard asked, looking curious. _"Where you headed, kid?"_

"France," Duo replied, making a reminder on the system for the location of Howard's ship. "I'm on a mission." And it wasn't a lie. It _was _a mission, just a personal one.

Howard snorted, folding his arms over his chest again. _"That guy's got you run ragged. What a slave driver. Where are you now?"_

"Poland, just about," Duo said without thinking what he may be divulging. "I'll be flying over Warsaw pretty soon."

The old man grinned. "_Convenient, we're on the same continent!" _He snorted again and tried to brush some dirt and grease off of his Hawaiian shirt, only succeeding in smearing it around. "_Well, since I'll be seeing you, I'll let you go so you can finish your mission and get your ass here sooner."_

"Okay Howie," the American replied, smiling. "Keep my baby safe until I get there."

"_I will. Seeya, brat."_

"Bye old man!"

When the connection cut, Duo sighed and stretched again, ready to get back on track. Howard was right. The sooner he got what he needed, the sooner he could get his present. He squirmed just at the thought, sorely tempted to go straight there and _then _double back to France. "Soon, my precious," he promised, powering up Deathscythe.

* * *

Quatre jumped awake when his console beeped, nearly giving him a heart attack. He rubbed one eye and sat up straight in his pilot's chair. "Please be good news," he whispered, reaching out to accept the connection. Howard's face greeted him, looking pleased. "Good news?" the blonde asked hopefully.

"_I think I caught him off guard, because he didn't seem to think about what he was telling me."_

"So you know where he is?" Quatre sat up straighter, his hope growing.

"_Poland," _Howard answered. "_Said he'll be over Warsaw pretty soon and that he's heading for France. That ring any bells?"_

"So he _is _heading for Bordeaux!" the blonde exclaimed, clenching his fists in excitement. Finally, a bit of good news! "Thank you so much Howard, you've helped us a great deal!"

"_And one more thing, kid. Tell your friend Wufie-"_

"Wufei."

"_Right. Tell him Duo's heading for my location afterwards. I'll send the coordinates in a sec, and you can pass them on. If he misses the kid in Bordeaux, then I'll try to keep him here as long as possible. Assuming the brat doesn't get himself in trouble," _Howard grumbled, looking put off by the idea. _"If one of you sees him before I do, give him a knock on the head for me."_

Quatre smiled, reading the concern behind the show of gruffness. "I'm sure Wufei will take care of that for you. Thanks again, Howard."

"_No problem, over and out."_

The blonde couldn't help the smile that remained plastered to his face. Now they had a definite lead to go on, and hopefully Wufei could catch up to Duo in time to stop him. Just as he was contacting the Chinese pilot, Howard's coordinates came in, showing him on the coast of Portugal. Too bad he hadn't been in between the braided boy and his destination, but that was just too much to hope for. He connected with Wufei a moment later. "Wufei, good news. Howard just gave me a call."

"_Do we know where he is?" _the Chinese boy asked a little impatiently, referring to their runaway pilot.

Quatre nodded. "No coordinates, but he's definitely going to Bordeaux. He told Howard he's heading to France. He's in Poland right now, almost to Warsaw. Where are you?"

Wufei turned his eyes towards his console for a moment as he brought up his own map, making a noise of accomplishment. _"I'm very close to his location. He must have stopped to rest, because I've caught up a great deal if my estimation is correct_."

"One more thing," Quatre said, holding back a chuckle when he realized the conversation was going almost word for word as the previous one. "Duo's heading for Howard's ship afterwards, so if you miss him in France you can catch him there. I'm sending you the location now."

Wufei nodded, reaching above the screen to flip a few switches. _"If I have any say in the matter, I'll get to him before he can throw himself into the wolf's den. I'll keep you posted."_

"Good luck," the blonde replied, smiling at Wufei before cutting the connection. He relaxed in his chair for a moment, praising the luck they had run upon. They knew were Duo was, knew where he was going. He wasn't to the Oz base yet, and that was a good thing. If Wufei couldn't get him to abandon the foolish venture, then he could at least accompany the American as back up, and the whole thing wouldn't be nearly as risky. The most desirable outcome would be for both of them to come back safe so they could all come up with a sound plan.

Knowing Duo, however, that didn't seem too likely.

* * *

Will Wuffers catch up to Duo in time to beat some sense into him? Tune in next time for the answer!


	8. Honest Mistake

A/N: The votes dictated I get my ass in gear, as the majority of you voted for an update of this story. I know it's been a while(again), but thanks for hanging in there everyone.

And by the way, I had to go back and count because I've forgotten how long this fic has lapsed, but I just wanted to let you all know that we're about a week and a half since the events of chapter 1. Where this chapter starts is day 11. In case you wanted to know. JUST IN CASE.

"_Text." _Video communication or prerecorded message

_Text _Thoughts

"Text." Regular speech.

- - - -

Red Means Stop

Chapter 8: Honest Mistake

- - - -

_Ah, France. So beautiful. So romantic. So... French._

Duo shook his head with a grin, taking in his surroundings as he was carried down on the lift cable. This place seemed highly familiar, which was not surprising, seeing as how he'd been in the area for a fake mission a few months ago. _I have to find out what those freaks did to me... _he thought grimly, thinking of the bruised spot on the back of his neck. When his feet touched the ground, Duo gave the cable a tug and it reeled itself back in. So, now for a plan.

...Right. Plan. An idea that wouldn't get him killed or maimed in any way, shape or form.

Easier said than done, Duo thought ruefully. He shrugged, deciding to put that part off until the basics were done. "First thing's first. Scout the perimeter, find the pattern in the guard shifts and make note of any booby traps. Cake walk," he said happily. The only problem would be waiting until it was dark. It was pretty hard even for him to be stealthy in broad daylight. By the looks of the sun, it wouldn't be but two hours before he could safely move in to take stock of the base's defenses.

As he settled down to wait in the shadow of his camouflaged Gundam, Duo couldn't help but wonder at the stupidity of what he was doing. He was throwing himself to the lions, in a sense, but was sitting around doing nothing any better?

..._Maybe that would have been a better idea_.

If they did have a tracking chip in him (they would have been stupid not to) than they knew he was at their doorstep. And if that was the case, they were simply waiting for him to bumble in like an idiot. Even if he did wait until dark, some Oz scientist could be sitting cozy and cushy in front of a monitor watching some harebrained little dot flit about the perimeter. Then he would watch that dot "sneak" in and make its way towards the computer terminal, and then call for an ambush to be set and take the stupid little dot for whatever purpose. They could try pumping him for information, or wiping his memory again and sending him back out to do his job right, which was most likely to betray the other pilots or lead them into a trap.

"Shit!" Duo hissed, standing up in a flurry before staring to pace. "I can't believe I ever thought this would work! Someone's probably watching me and laughing that I'm having a mental break down!" He growled in frustration and worried at his braid with rough hands. "How the hell am I supposed to pull this off when they can see every move I make? I can avoid cameras and traps all I want but I can't get away from a tracker in my body!"

The brunette eventually managed to calm himself down by taking deep breaths and forcing himself to sit down and stop pacing. That would do him no good, only make himself feel stupid because someone was most likely taking pleasure from watching him freak out. That thought immediately made his skin crawl, as the concept had done several times already. Someone was _watching _him. There were no cameras on him, but there might as well have been with the anxiety he felt. It was like a pair of eyes was always on him, always taking note of what he was doing. Scrutinizing. Waiting for Duo to play into their hands like an obedient little pawn.

The Deathscythe pilot stood up once more, moving a few feet away from his Gundam to stare in the direction of the Oz base. The beautiful Garonne River stood between him and his target, reflecting the late afternoon light like a giant rippling mirror. Duo sighed in distress, wading back through the foxtails and willow branches to move away from the marshy western river bank. What to do, what to do? Whether he went through with his foolhardy plan or not, they knew where he was as he made every move. He didn't want that fact lingering over his head, did he? So the logical thing to do would be to do something about it here and now, like he originally intended.

...Well, not really all that logical...

Duo was broken out of his daze, or more literally slammed out of it, when something crashed into him and knocked him to the ground. He started to panic when angry hands fisted into his shirt and started turning him over onto his back.

"Dāizi!" he heard shouted vehemently, recognizing the voice even when it had gone into a foreign dialect.

"Hey, Wu, buddy," he started calmly, pushing himself up only to be grabbed by the collar of his shirt and yanked the rest of the way up.

"Shut up!" Wufei hissed, shaking the braided boy to emphasize the command. "What the hell were you thinking?!" When Duo remained nervously silent, eyes darting back and forth, Wufei shook him again. "Answer me!"

"You told me to shut up!" Duo protested angrily, prying the Chinese pilot's fingers from his shirt collar. "What do you want me to say anyway? You'd have done the same thing in my position!"

"No I would not!" Wufei growled.

"How do you know?" the brunette challenged hotly. "How can you honestly say that to my face? Do you even fully understand my position? If I stayed with you guys it would have led them to our doorstep! Or worse! I couldn't live with that, Wufei, I just couldn't!"

"That doesn't mean you had to run off on your own like an idiot!" Wufei insisted, vehement. "Do you even think about these things?"

"A whole fucking lot, actually!" Duo shouted, losing the thin hold on his patience and nerve. "I'm scared witless because all I've been able to think about for the past four days is how someone is watching me like some helpless little lab mouse! Yeah, alright, I know I'm playing into their grimy paws if I go in there, but what else can I do, huh?! If they bothered to pump some sort of drug into me then wipe my stupid head of what happened, then they obviously would have put in a GPS chip to make sure their precious little toy doesn't run off! Either way I'm screwed, but at least I can do something about it!"

Wufei stared hard at the angry brunette, who was taking in heavy breaths after his rant. "And what do you expect us to do?" he said in a calm, dangerous voice. "Just sit back and watch you amble on home to your laboratory cage?" He stalked forward, closing the gap between the two and grabbing a hold of Duo's shirt once more. "Damnit, Maxwell! We're a team! Don't you understand? If you want a chance at beating this, than you can't go rushing into things on your own! You might as well sit on Oz's doorstep on a silver platter!"

Two stares clashed in a battle of fierce wills for a long moment, before Duo grunted in annoyance and pried Wufei's hand from his shirt, _again_. He attempted to flatten the rumpled and stretched fabric, meeting his comrade's eyes once more. "So what would _you_ suggest?"

"A _plan_," Wufei insisted, crossing his arms over his chest. "That and back-up. If Oz is indeed keeping a GPS tab on you, then they'll be on us the second we get in there. Assuming you would sit out until we can disable the tracking system, we'd need at least one other person to go in with me."

Duo heaved a sigh, feeling the ability to think a little more clearly now that the anger was draining from his system. "What if we can somehow disable the chip?" he suggested, looking at the other pilot. Wufei merely raised his eyebrow skeptically, inviting him to come up with something that wasn't totally stupid. Duo pursed his lips a little and folded his arms as well, matching the Chinese boy's posture. Thinking for a few moments, the brunette turned to stare across the river once more, catching hints of buildings through the curtain of willow branches. "What about... maybe a pulse of electricity would do it?" he thought out loud. Fortunately, he missed the gesture of Wufei slapping a hand over his eyes in total exasperation. "Oh, I've got it!" Duo exclaimed, turning to face the glaring Asian. "I'll bet Howard has something to suit our purposes! Oh... but what will I tell him?"

"He already knows the situation," Wufei grunted, crossing his arms once more.

"What?" Duo squawked, eyes wide. "The hell how?"

The Chinese pilot couldn't help but smirk, taking a bit of sadistic pleasure. "_We _told him. That's how I found you."

The brunette was silent for a long moment, staring at Wufei, until it came to him like a brick wall. He'd told Howard where he was going! "Oohh!" he groaned, slapping the palm of his hand to his forehead. "I'm so _stupid_!"

"That was actually the least stupid thing you've done throughout this entire calamity," Wufei noted dryly, still smirking.

"Haughty opinion time is not now, Wuffykins," Duo replied, feeling a little better when he saw the other boy sputter indignantly over his latest nickname creation. He'd have to keep that one on hand for when he _really_ wanted to wipe that smug look off of Wu's face. Then, a thought struck him, and he smiled. "I think I'm rubbing off on you. Talking to Howard behind my back to be a collaborator in all this? That's a tried and true Maxwell tactic."

Wufei merely growled, pinching the bridge of his nose.

- - - -

"Can't we just... you know, _not _tell Quatre?"

"And miss him yelling you into the ground? Not a chance."

"You're mean," Duo grumbled, just loud enough for Wufei to catch it from Nataku's cockpit.

"Cry me a river," Wufei responded. "Besides, I've already e-mailed Yuy, who is no doubt glued to his computer. I've asked him to have Winner contact me." And it was not a long wait at all, testified by the alert of a contact waiting for access a few minutes later. Wufei accepted and watched as a window opened up, partially blocking his Gundam's visual feed of the marsh. "Winner," he greeted.

Quatre must have known right away what his calm demeanor implied. _"You found him?_" the blonde asked excitedly, leaning closer to the console.

"I did," the Chinese boy replied. "Not to mention alive and intact, believe it or not." A snort of indignation came from the forest floor, but Wufei paid it no mind. "I found him across the river from the base and I've convinced him to enact a plan that is a little less reckless."

Another snort, ignored.

"_Bless your heart, Wufei! I can't believe you managed to find him before he could rush in on his own,_" Quatre sighed, leaning back a little as he allowed himself to relax in that knowledge. "_Fill me in on the mission specs_."

"We're heading to Howard's ship to see him about disabling the tracking chip. Maxwell is not content to sit back, and if he goes in there it's all over. He thinks Howard will have something to neutralize the GPS chip, so we're heading for Portugal. If we can take care of that problem, us two will be returning to Bordeaux. Typical rundown, recon, guards, you know the routine. If, however, the chip remains intact, he's going to sit out and I'll need backup."

"_It sounds like you could use an extra hand either way_," Quatre pointed out. "_The rest of us haven't received any new missions lately, so someone can make their way over to your location._"

Wufei nodded. "That was my next topic of choice. You may decide amongst yourselves who will go, as I don't see any specific area of expertise needed on this mission. Although, a good tactician may give us an edge, as timing and placement of forces will need to be down to a point."

"_Then I'd like to volunteer for the job_," the blonde replied, ready and willing to help and make sure his friends didn't get into any trouble, if he could help it. "_I don't think Heero or Trowa will have any objections to the arrangements_."

The Chinese pilot liked these odds a lot better. Duo would no longer have his deemed 'last resort' of rushing in without a plan or any back up, not to mention giving Oz the advantage with the supposed tracking chip. Instead, there would be a three man team to divide the work and make the operation much more precise. "Perfect. By the time you arrive, Maxwell and I should have finished in Portugal and will have made our way back to this spot."

"_Great, I'll leave right away," _Quatre replied. After a moment's hesitation, the blonde leaned in a little and lowered his voice. "_Oh, and Wufei- Keep an eye on him..."_

The Chinese boy could tell it wasn't a joke, or a little tease at Duo's expense, it was real concern. He felt bad for the Arab. Even though Wufei had been as ornery as a rattlesnake upon discovering Duo gone, Quatre had taken it the hardest of them all, as he usually did when something went wrong. The Chinese boy felt that for everyone's sake, Quatre's especially, he had to keep Duo out of trouble. "I will," he said, nodding. "You just make sure you get here to help him. I feel as though he's guilt-tripped himself enough for all of us."

Quatre smiled a little. _"I wouldn't put it past him. I'll see you soon."_

Wufei said his own farewell and cut the line, running a hand over his smooth hair with his eyes closed. He had a few blissful pieces of silences to run over the events of the last two weeks, and by god it was all giving him such a headache. To just sit and breathe for a few moments without feeling pissed off, the gentle caress of wind floating in through the open cockpit bay, it was all such a nice change of pace.

"Oy! Wu-man!"

Of course, he hadn't expected it to last very long. Wufei leaned over and looked down at Duo. "What do you want, my runaway puppy?"

The brunette, far below on the forest floor, bristled in annoyance, pursing his lips in an angry pout. "When are we moving out, Captain Smart-Mouth?"

Never passing up an opportunity to further ruffle the brunette's feathers in retaliation for past teasing, Wufei easily came up with a reply. "Right now, First Mate Complains-A-Lot."

Duo didn't say anything, but only gave Wufei a dirty look before heading towards his own Gundam, mumbling threats and curses all the way.

- - - -

When they arrived on the coast of Portugal, Howard's coordinates led them to a small marina, looking like it hadn't had much traffic at all in the past. It was a dark night without the moon or the glow of a large city to light the way. Duo opened up a communication line with Howard's ship, waiting for someone to accept the connection. He was not kept waiting very long, as Howard had been expecting them, when a deckhand answered and told them it was all clear. The Gundams carefully touched down on the deck of the larger freighter ship, maneuvered into an easy position to be looked over. The captain of the vessel would surely insist on his men doing maintenance on the suits, like always.

When the pilots emerged from their Gundams, it was to see Howard coming towards them in the deck lighting, arms outstretched in greeting. "Hey kids!" he called, waiting at the feet of the mobile suits while the teenagers made their descent.

"Hey Howie," Duo said in a cheery voice, not at all thinking that the older man _knew _what he'd done lately. An important fact to let slip.

"Brat!" Howard shouted as soon as Duo was within striking distance, giving him a sound whack on the back of his head and causing the brunette to stumble backwards in surprise.

"OW!" he shouted, holding both hands to his head in an attempt to soothe the ache. "What the hell was that for?!"

"For being a moron, you nitwit!" Howard barked, placing his fists on his hips in a frustrated stance. "What were you thinking, just taking off on your own?! Are you trying to get yourself killed, you dumb kid?!"

Duo sighed and rolled his eyes, still holding onto the tender area of his head. "Can we skip this part? I've already been chewed out, thank you, not to mention tackled to the ground and shaken. Isn't that enough?"

The old man's next response was cut off, finger poised in mid-air. He blinked in surprise before turning to look at Wufei incredulously, staring for a good few moments. "You tackled him?" the older man asked, studying the pilot of Shenlong as he waited for an answer. The Chinese boy nodded tersely, to which Howard immediately straightened up and gave Wufei's shoulder a pat. "Well played, kid, well played. Your little blonde friend said you'd give Duo a knock on the head for me, but I didn't know he was being serious! Good show!"

Duo fumed silently throughout all this, arms crossed over his chest and lips formed into an angry pout. "Yeah, yeah, I'm stupid, I'm a moron, I'm incompetent, and I was trying to get myself killed, uh huh. Can we move on now?"

"Don't be like that," Howard teased, leading the boys towards the canteen. "If one of your friends pulled a stunt like that, you'd be pissed and ripping on 'em every chance you got." He gave Duo a hearty pat on the back, earning him an evil look when he almost caused the boy to fall forward. "Now, are you going to take it like a man?"

Before the Deathscythe pilot could answer this, another, more important topic came to mind as the entrance to the canteen appeared. His steps slowed a little in his hesitation, annoyance replaced by a strong sense of foreboding. "Howard... does... does the rest of the crew know?"

The old man didn't answer right away, but pushed open the door to the mess hall and ushered the boys inside. Almost at once, every eye in the room was on Duo, causing him to step back in fear and bump into Wufei, who had been right behind him. Every single Sweeper currently in the room was giving him a combined evil look that made him want to crawl under a rock. It was much too late for dinner, meaning Howard _had _told them and they had made sure to be ready to chew him out. They were, after all, family. Now Duo felt his guilt come rushing over him in a smothering wave, and all he wanted at that moment was for the floor to open up and swallow him into some dark abyss where he wasn't getting silent death threats for his actions.

Someone finally decided to take pity on him, however, as he felt a firm hand settle on his shoulder. Wufei stepped up to his side, apparently having determined that Duo had gotten enough guilt and punishment for one mistake. Now, the Chinese boy stood strong to defend his comrade. Howard watched this in curiosity, a small grin on his face. He called out to the still murderous looking bunch of Sweepers, "Alright guys, let the kids get some chow, and go easy on the brat. He's already had it pretty good."

Duo could melt at the sudden switch from anger to support, watching as one by one the Sweepers began to leave the room, abandoning their plans for a group verbal thrashing. Some of them managed to keep up their angry looks on the way out, but most of them expressed in some way their gratitude that Duo was alive and well, a pat on the shoulder, a ruffle of his bangs, or a playful yank of his braid. When they had all cleared out, Duo gave a huge sigh, feeling tired.

"Come on, big tough pilots," Howard said genially, spurring them into motion once more. "Lets get some food in ya, and then it's off to bed. We can worry about Duo's gizmo problems in the morning, right?"

"I guess," Duo admitted, checking his watch to find it was nearing one o'clock in the morning. "Food and sleep sounds pretty good right now, anyway..." he said, rubbing at his stomach where pangs of hunger had been wheedling at him for the past few hours. He and Wufei followed Howard into the nearly deserted kitchen to find the group's cook, Marcie, working at the stove. The woman was very motherly looking, having taken to acting as such for the entire crew. She'd grown especially fond of Duo. She turned to them with a smile and kind brown eyes.

"As soon as I heard Deathscythe arrive, I started on something for my favorite little trouble maker." Marcie then shifted her gaze to Wufei, that welcoming look never leaving her face. "And who might this handsome young man be?"

Duo smiled, a warm feeling capturing his chest. He knew Marcie would be the one to treat him normally if anyone would. She was eternally wise in ways Duo would never understand but always be grateful for. "This is my friend Wufei. Wu, this is Marcie, the Sweeper's resident cook and mother."

Wufei inclined his head respectfully, picking up on Duo's admiration for her through the tone of his voice. "A pleasure, ma'am."

"Such a gentleman," the cook commented with a little smile. She turned off the two burners on the stove and began dishing out the contents onto two plates. "I don't need to ask Duo, but I hope you like rotini, Wufei."

As Wufei would discover upon tasting the dish, Duo's insistence of Marcie being the best cook in the universe could very well have been true. Wufei considered himself to be a good cook for his age, though by no means could he compare to this. On some level, they could all prepare a decent meal, Duo being one of the more advanced of them, but they were still children, and cooking was neither a strong suit nor a luxury they had the time to develop. It just made them appreciate a fine meal when they came across one.

Howard had wandered off to make sure their sleeping quarters were prepared, leaving the two Gundam pilots alone in the deserted mess hall. "What did I tell you?" Duo asked in a love-struck voice. "She makes the best spaghetti sauce, especially. From scratch, you know, none of that stuff from the jar. Marcie taught me all I know, but I'll never be as good a cook as her."

Wufei looked up in curiosity, wiping his mouth on his napkin. "Is that where you learned to cook?"

"Yup!" the brunette affirmed. "At first I thought cooking was girly and a waste of time, but she insisted that I be able to feed myself. Eventually it became pretty cool to be able to make something other than freeze dried noodles, and I _enjoyed _learning from her," he said fondly, stirring the pasta around on his plate. Another few moments of silence passed before he spoke again, voice soft and uncharacteristically hesitant. "Do you think Howie can fix this?"

The Chinese boy put down his fork, staring at Duo with a look that tried to convey reassurance and confidence. "If you trust him than I trust him. He seems confident that he can neutralize the tracking chip, if there is one."

"Yeah," Duo mumbled, licking a bit of spaghetti sauce from his fork. The eating utensil gave a dull, slightly tarnished reflection of his own image. Brown hair, blue eyes, slightly round face. He stared at it for a moment, thinking of how much he'd like to be home with all of the pilots, not in a cold cafeteria with angry Sweepers lurking the halls just beyond those double doors. Staring at that slightly warped reflection made him think of the tracker hidden somewhere in his body, allowing some Oz lackey to watch his every move. He had no doubt that it existed, even though everyone kept saying 'if there is one,' at the end of their sentence. He knew it was there, a foreign device somewhere under his skin, shattering his fragile thoughts of any location being secure.

It made him angry, and the feeling began to smolder the more he focused on it.

"Stop thinking," Wufei demanded calmly, taking a drink from his glass of water.

Feeling the fiery emotion quell and subside, Duo smiled a little in amusement. Was he that easy to read?

"Yes, you are," the Chinese boy replied. When he saw Duo's face develop into a look of shock and suspicion, the black haired pilot rolled his eyes. "No, I cannot read your mind. You asked that out loud. Now finish your food, you need sleep."

"In the worst way," Duo chuckled, spearing one of the large rotini noodles and smearing it around in the pasta sauce. "I looove Marcie's cooking..."

- - - -

The next morning, the boys showered and ate breakfast before coming to Howard about the tracking chip. He led them to his workroom, which was cluttered with electronic devices, various tools, welding equipment, and many other odds and ends. It reminded Wufei of Duo's work space when the brunette was able to get his hands on the right supplies. 'Organized chaos,' to use Duo's own words. Howard led them over to the one of four work spaces, looking through a set of shelves mounted on the wall above the desk. "Now where did I put it?" the old man murmured, pushing things aside and blindly patting around behind the larger objects. "Ah hah!" he exclaimed, pulling out what he'd been looking for.

It was a flat device that was about nine inches long, including the handle, and three inches across at its widest. Overall, the thing reminded Duo of those handheld metal detectors used at the entrances of amusement parks. "I'm assuming you're not going to check me for weapons?" the braided teen asked, earning a slightly dirty look from Wufei.

"Nope, because I already know you're swimming in them," Howard commented idly, adjusting a small switch on the side of the instrument and turning a dial until there was a 'click.' "This, children, is a pulse sensor. If there's a tracking device on your somewhere, it will emit some form of electromagnetic waves." Howard held up the sensor and wiggled it a little, grinning. "This baby will detect any of those and tell us what type."

"Cool," Duo chirped, perking up. "I knew you'd come through for me, Howie. Let's find that little bugger, then!"

"Have you noticed anywhere that's sore, where they might have put it?" the old man asked.

Duo took a glance over his arms, patting down his front and legs. "Nope, everything feels fine."

Howard sighed and scratched his head. "Man, a long time ago these things came in big, gaudy radio collars, or something large enough that would require at least mild surgery to actually implant it in you. Oh well," he shrugged, powering up the pulse sensor. "That's why we've got this. Now where to start?"

"Where do they usually plant chips in animals?" Duo asked curiously.

"In the scruff of the neck, which is the likeliest place for your circumstances, anyway," Howard replied, lifting Duo's braid to run the device over the base of his skull down to his shoulder blades. The sensor remained disappointingly silent. "Nothing," he said, frowning.

"Try my arms," the brunette instructed, holding said limbs out with his wrists facing up. The elder man ran the electromagnetic seeker up along Duo's left arm first, front to back, but found nothing. On the right arm, however, it let out a little trill when Howard held it over the under side of the boy's forearm. "Found it," he exclaimed, lifting his dark sunglasses for a moment to observe the reading on the device's screen. "Microwaves. Definitely GPS, though I couldn't say if it's a data pusher or a live feed."

"Great!" Duo said, eager to have the invasion of his privacy done away with. "Now how do we kill it?"

"Electromagnetic scrambler," Howard replied, picking up another flat device that was about five by two inches, not including the grooved handle emerging from the bottom. "It will send a small pulse that should render the tracking chip's wires and software useless."

"Are you sure this is safe?" Wufei asked skeptically, not able to keep his doubtful silence anymore and not at all liking the way this plan was heading. He'd refrained from speaking up earlier, seeing as Howard was the expert in these matters, but this just seemed to be pushing their luck.

"Of course it is, Wu-man!" Duo replied, giving his comrade a pat on the shoulder. "The wave is harmless, I'll be A-okay. C'mon Howie, kill the little bastard!" he insisted, holding his arm out.

Wufei watched, still unconvinced, as the oldest of the three held the scrambler flat over Duo's exposed forearm. He adjusted a few knobs with tiny, precise turns, and flipped the power switch on. "Okay, here we go," Howard said carefully, pressing the blue button just below the display screen.

At first it seemed like nothing happened, but a high pitched, barely audible whine pierced the air for naught but two seconds. A moment later they heard the tiny little hiss of circuits frying and Duo let out a startled gasp. He hunched over just a little and held his arm close, a few tense moments of silence passing before he spoke. "Well, it definitely worked," Duo said, voice pained yet still holding that humorous lilt. The other two noticed his fingers shaking in tiny, convulsive twitches, automatically putting them on alert. "But you didn't say it would be so tingly," the brunette said in a strained voice, promptly crumpling to the ground a moment later, his chest going still.

- - - -

Quatre checked his coordinates once more in an attempt to mentally will his Gundam to go faster, but to no avail. His topographical map was still showing the mountains that were passing by on his visual feed, indicating he was not yet where he needed to be. He'd just have to be patient. The blonde knew Sandrock's systems and quirks like the back of his hand, and if he pushed the Gundam too hard it would overheat and he'd have to waste time by stopping to let her engines cool. So he stayed at the fastest, safest speed he could manage, eyes constantly roving from the visual to the radar to the map to the energy and heat levels.

He sighed a little as his wandering mind strayed to thoughts of Duo. Quatre just couldn't get over his misreading of the signs. Duo was his best friend, and he _knew _wrestling a direct promise, free of loopholes, from the brunette should have been at the forefront of his mind. He'd just been so preoccupied with trying to come up with a safe plan to fix the situation, that it had completely slipped his mind. He'd become familiar with Duo's tactics early on once he'd had the chance to interact with the brunette for an extended amount of time. Duo didn't lie, ever. But he could and often did exploit the phrasing of his own words or avoid making a promise that would land him unable to go back on what he'd said.

Quatre sighed again, shaking his head. He'd have a few choice words for the Deathscythe pilot once they met up once more. Just as he finished that thought, however, Sandrock's computer system let the blonde know that he had a contact attempt. Quatre opened the line and was greeted by the grim face of pilot 05. His heart immediately jumped into his throat. "Wufei?"

"_It's best you come straight to Portugal. There's a problem_," the Chinese boy spoke without any preamble, lips pursing tightly after his announcement.

"What happened?" Quatre demanded.

Wufei crossed his arms over his chest, averted his eyes for a moment to gather his thoughts. "_We arrived at Howard's location safely, and the next morning he attempted to disable the tracking chip. But..."_

Now the Sandrock pilot was completely on red alert, concern, fear, and anxiety battling for dominance when the other boy's sentence trailed off in such an undesirable way. It wasn't often he saw Wufei so unwilling to speak, and he could tell through the Chinese pilot's body language that it was something terribly important. "Wufei...?" he asked, voice coming out in a frightened whisper.

Wufei took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

- - - -

Oh crap. Cliffhanger. I'm sorry, I just can't help myself. I need to keep you guys on the edge of your seats! Or try to, anyway.

I felt really bad about this chapter cause Duo gets a lot of crap about what he did. He's uncharacteristically grumpy about it because he knows as well as everyone else that it wasn't the smartest plan of action.


	9. Oh No, They Say He's Got to Go

A/N: …. ;___; I'm SO sorry guys. I looked at the website today and was amazed to see that on the 30th of this month it will have been a YEAR since I last updated Red Means Stop. I feel horrible for that, because I hate it when a story I'm into goes dormant. If it's something I really like, I can barely even wait a WEEK. So I apologize to everyone who was watching this story and is still bothering to read it. I just got to a point in the plot where I didn't know where to go.

I have never decided on a specific plot beforehand for any of my stories, I just fly by the seat of my pants and write as I think of things. This is either the mark of a genius or a complete idiot, I have yet to figure out which, but it frequently hinders me because I don't have something outlined beforehand. I've tried to remedy this particular trait of mine, but it never seems to go anywhere.

Again, sorry for the ridiculous wait, and I hope you enjoy.

- - - -

Red Means Stop

Chapter 9: Oh No, They Say He's Got to Go

- - - -

Quatre practically vaulted off of his Gundam upon arriving on Howard's ship, desperately cornering one of the deckhands to take him to the medical bay. The young crewmember led him down halls and through doors until they reached a long stretch with a door at the end marked with a red cross. Quatre thanked the man, even though he was still trying to escort the Gundam pilot, and dashed down the hall at a fast walk. _Please let him be okay, please let him be okay. _When he finally reached the door and shoved it open with almost too much force, he stopped in shock in the doorway.

"For god's sake people, I got a little shock, not run over by a speeding Leo. And can someone get this crap off me?"

"Duo?" Quatre stuttered, eyes wide.

The brunette looked over at him, face mirroring the blonde boy's shock and also holding something akin to fear. "Oh dear god."

"Duo!" the blonde exclaimed, rushing past the medical staff and crew members to the side of Duo's bed, his position mirrored on the other side by Wufei. He immediately grabbed the Deathscythe pilot in a hug, holding him tight to dispel the fear that had been coiled in his heart since Duo had taken off in the middle of the night. "I'm so glad you're okay," he whispered.

The braided boy stilled within his friend's grasp, the hasty pleading for mercy caught in his throat. For the millionth time, he noted his guilt increasing once more. "Aw, Quat..."

And that was all it took to break the blonde's initial state of mind. Reaffirmed of Duo's safety, he proceeded to the part that could not be ignored. "Don't you 'aw Quat' me! Do you know how _worried _I was? And when you wouldn't even answer my contact attempts to let me know you were alive and okay?!"

Duo deflated. While he was feeling guilty, he was really starting to get fed up with the bashing he was receiving from everyone who knew about this whole predicament. There was only so much humility one human being could muster in the face of everyone calling out his choice of action, especially when he did it to protect his friends, rather than dragging them into a possibly fatal situation. Was that _really _such a bad thing? "Can we move on? Please?"

Quatre pursed his lips, and neither of them noticed the eventual trickle of people sneaking out of the room, leaving the three pilots alone. Whether to give them some private time or to avoid getting roped in was unclear to Wufei, who was getting ready to intervene. While he liked seeing Duo squirm from time to time, he could only sit back and watch the brunette suffer for so long. However, just as he was about to make an attempt to soothe the savage mother hen, Quatre's feathers settled. He crossed his arms and relaxed a little. "I suppose you've been reamed enough as it is. I'm just happy you're alive, so I'll let it be. How are you feeling?"

Duo smiled in gratitude. While there was still Heero and Trowa to face eventually, he was now thoroughly convinced the guilt tripping was over for now. "I'm okay, a little numb, but pretty good overall. There _was _a tracking chip and it's fried to high heaven."

"Even more good news," the blonde said with a smile to match Duo's. "It would seem your instincts were correct after all. Not that I doubted you, but we've never known Oz to pull something like this before."

Duo's face darkened slightly at this, while a crooked grin soon took residence. "Yeah, who'da thought those nimrods could cook up something so uncharacteristically elaborate? I feel downright like a pawn in a game of chess!"

"Which would mean the goal of their little game is..."

"To capture the queen, of course!" Duo chirped.

"All five of us," Wufei murmured with a sour look on his face.

"Now Wu," the brunette cut in with a chiding tone, still grinning. "Far be it from us to disrupt their game. _I _say we play our _own_ pieces!"

Quatre and Wufei both looked down at Duo in surprise, cluing in to the devious expression on his face. The look on his face was one they knew well, one that had promised pain and humiliation in the past, and even tears on a few special occasions. The thoughts were whirling in his head like a tornado, and they could definitely tell a plan was forming in that head of his, one that would not bode well for the sanity of Oz. "They want to play, let's play," he said with a smirk.

"Duo," Quatre said slowly, a smile growing on his own face. "I like the way you think."

"I don't," Wufei grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest. "Wasn't the new plan to henceforth throw out all insane and life threatening plans?"

"Please Wufei, give me a little more credit," Quatre said with a smile. "I already had a massive coronary from your message about Duo earlier, I'm not going out there without a finely tuned plan constructed of patience and careful strategy."

"Have a little faith in blondie, man!" Duo said with a grin, wrapping an arm around Quatre's waist and pulling him close in a one armed hug. "He _is _the brilliant little tactician of the group, in case you've forgotten."

The Chinese boy rolled his eyes, admitting to himself that he did feel they had been placed in capable hands when Quatre arrived. He just thought that the whole thing didn't have to go any further now that the tracking chip was disabled. Why put themselves in further danger when danger would find them in another week or so anyway? He sighed, knowing Duo would never accept the idea of _not _finding out what the whole mysterious _Project Alpha _was all about. "Fine," he said grudgingly, shooting the both of them a disapproving frown for emphasis that he did _not _have to like whatever they were going to throw themselves into next.

Duo just grinned in anticipation.

- - - -

The silence weighed heavy all around like water, suffocating and surrounding. He slowly cut a sensory wire in half and redirected each end, positive and negative, to connect to another set of input jacks. Another wire was snapped and he sighed in relief, shutting the panel on the steel wall. It latched with a quiet 'click.' "This is 02, security and attack systems disabled."

A voice crackled in on the other end. "This is 05, good work 02, we're ahead of schedule. Head to your next position."

"Roger that, 05."

Duo, Wufei and Quatre had agreed on a plan of action. After a few days for Duo to heal up after the dangerous shock he'd received, they head out. Their destination was back to the Oz base in Bordeaux where the braided boy had been sent for his false mission. Instead of Western side of the base that was on the Garonne River, they went in from the North, where a hill led up to a forest that made perfect cover for their Gundams. This eliminated the trouble of crossing the river or going through either half of the city that was divided by the Garonne. They figured this was the most logical course of action, to check the place where this mess had all started.

Duo put the wire cutters back into his pocket, exiting the utility closet and shutting the door behind him, melting into the shadows of the hallway. He ghosted his way through the Oz complex, heading for another control area in the next building. He exited the utility sector, waiting in the shadows of the large building for his moment. It wasn't raining out, but it was very windy and pitch black, giving them perfect cover to execute this part of the mission. He waited for about twenty seconds until he saw a tiny signal in the distance, nodding to himself. He set off at a sprint across the grounds, avoiding the spot lights.

From atop the guard tower where he'd signaled, Quatre watched as the braided pilot easily skipped detection. Duo had been assigned to that part of the mission thanks to his incredible stealth skills. Quatre wasn't sure where they'd come from, but the talent sure came in handy. As Duo entered the next block without problem, the blonde waited ready with a control panel open on the side of the guard tower's main support beam. If anything happened, it would be up to him to intercept any alarms being triggered. They would have to get things done fast, as he'd avoided knocking out the guard was patrolling this path. Unconscious soldiers tended to be a problem when someone else radioed in to ask them something. Quatre, for the record, was not very good at mimicking voices.

Down on the ground, Duo made his way to the main computer room, which housed the mainframe of the entire base. He quietly hut the door behind him and breezed to the computer console, taking in the three huge monitors for the mainframe covering a whole wall. It was a shame to have to destroy technology like this, but it had to be done. He'd rather see it in pieces than in the hands of the enemy. That, and he was feeling just a little vindictive for being toyed with like a guinea pig. He sat in a rolling chair and immediately set to work, his fingers dancing across the keys at above average speed. The system wasn't too hard to hack into, mere child's play for someone of his level, and would've cake walk for Heero. Duo took out his flash drive and connected it to the USB drive, starting his download of files. The time to sift through them would be later.

Wufei, in another area of the complex, headed for the research labs where the hard data was kept. The pilots had learned early on in the war that their enemy did not always keep their important information in the database, and some research and reports were kept as hard copy only. He stopped suddenly, ducking into the shadows as a guard made his rounds. As soon as the man was a safe distance away and out of sight, Wufei ran the rest of the way to the lab he needed. He unlocked it with a stolen security card and shut the door carefully behind him. Looking around, he began to check filing cabinets, seeking anything labeled 'Project Alpha' and merely skimming the other files for anything important. Several folders of information were stuffed into the bag at his side. It was extremely hard to pick and choose when one was dealing with papers and hard binding as opposed to computer data, but he took care to take only what he thought would be important. Even then, he still managed to fill a good portion of the messenger bag.

"05, do you copy?"

Wufei was not startled by the quiet voice of Duo over his communicator, but it did worry him. Was there a problem? "What is it 02?"

"I have a bone to throw. Are you in the lab?"

"I am," Wufei responded, quietly sliding the drawer of the filing cabinet shut.

"I just saw something in the stuff I'm downloading, and there seems to be something of interest in research lab 3. Look for a freeze lock with a cylindrical capsule inside. I don't know what's in it, but we want it."

Wufei felt a little thrill of victory start to rise in him. Anything kept in a freeze lock must have been an active serum or something of similar interest. He smirked, even though his comrade could not see it. "Roger that, 02. Will acquire the prize ASAP."

"Good on ya. 02 out."

Wufei abandoned the filing cabinets and began to search the rest of the research lab. It was a bit big, composed of several rooms, but it didn't take long to find what he was looking for. He came across a high security freeze lock containing an object that was slightly shrouded by the frost on the thick glass. This was it, it matched the description he'd been given down to the 'T.' He swiped the key card and typed in the three security codes he'd memorized for their impromptu mission, watching as the lid of the container opened sluggishly It released a rush a cold air and fog, hissing as the inside air pressure equalized with the warmer temperature outside. Wufei gently removed the cylinder from the freeze lock, wrapping it in foam insulation he'd brought specifically for the purpose of transporting something fragile, like a beaker or flask of liquid.

"This is 05, target acquired and in possession. "

Quatre's voice spoke quietly in his ear. "Roger that, 05. Head for the rendezvous after planting your detonators."

"Understood."

Back at the mainframe, Duo finished downloading all the files and quickly wiped everything from the database's hard drive. A computer could be destroyed, but that was useless if one base was connected to another over the same network. Duo removed the flash drive with all of the information and put it into a protective anti-static slip that also discouraged electromagnetic interference. "This is 02, information retrieved."

"Excellent, head out, 02."

Duo nodded as a habit, knowing Quatre couldn't see him. "Are all the detonators set on your guy's end?"

"Complete," came Wufei's voice over the comm.

"All set," Quatre added.

"Right. I'll set the rest of mine." He would have set them earlier, but he could not risk being discovered before recovering all of the data on the mainframe.

"Standing by."

For starters, he set a detonator right underneath the control panel of the computer database. As he turned away from the mainframe, which had quietly been pondering to itself, the system finally diagnosed that the password, while correct, had been entered in an unauthorized way. No alarms went off of course, as Duo had disabled the security systems, but another part was alerted. As he stepped out into the hallway, a panel on the wall opened and an attack system on a separate level of circuitry activated. A small motion sensor appeared and focused on Duo, the lens flaring and dilating as it registered. He was unrecognized personnel, and the system went into attack.

Only his sensitive hearing saved Duo from a laser shot right through the chest, as he heard the whir of the weapon and ducked to the side. Several more shots targeted him and he dodged barely, residual heat warming his skin as the red beam barely grazed his arm. One of the shots ricocheted off of the wall just right and struck a small boiler system in a recess of the hallway. The tank fluxed and expanded, bursting from the heat of the laser and causing an explosion. The boiling hot steam was the least of Duo's concerns as shards of debris flew every which way, requiring him to dance and dodge to avoid being burned. He vaguely heard the attack system refocusing on him and he whipped out his gun through the haze of thick steam and let off a well aimed shot, effectively disabling it.

The explosion of the boiler had shot a shard of metal into an electrical panel across the hall, causing it to short circuit. All the moisture in the air from the steam caused the electricity to jump around in an amazing arc, leaving Duo singed but unhurt. He swore in surprise from the abrupt dance that had just occurred, checking the flash drive in his pocket. It seemed unharmed, thanks to the protective slip he'd put it in, but the detonator in his other pocket was not so lucky. The inner circuitry sizzled and released a small burst of smoke, announcing that it was useless. He threw it on the ground angrily, still able to remember to keep his voice down slightly. "Damnit!"

He finally became aware of the questioning voices in his ear, both inquiring at once. He grumbled in annoyance. "Will you guys shut up and speak one at a time? Sheesh."

"What happened, are you alright?" Quatre asked in worry.

Duo grimaced. "Fine, fine. But my detonator is fried. I'm going to have to set up a time detonator."

Wufei's voice came in. "Alright, but be careful. Set the time too long and someone will find it and possibly disarm it, too short and you'll get caught in the blast."

"Yeah yeah, I got it." Duo sighed in annoyance once the conversation ended and continued to plant explosives. Things had been going so well until that cluster fuck in the hallway, now he had to do things the old fashioned way. He huffed and made his way through the base. He finally stopped at an unused janitor's closet, opening it and surveying the inside. His eyes caught a pressure gauge for the heating system and he grinned. _This should amplify the blast enough. _He set up the explosives on the tank of the larger, main boiler for the sector of the building he was in. Pressure gauges were always a good thing that something flammable and deliciously dangerous was nearby.

When all was said and done, Duo put the last explosive in place, one that was time detonated and would set off a chain reaction. He decided to check in.

"02 here, is everyone at the rendezvous?"

A pause. "This is 05. I'm making my way there as we speak. 04 is still on lookout duty in the guard tower."

Duo looked at his watch, assessing their time frame. "Well get your asses out of there. Let me know when you're both clear."

"Right," Wufei replied. "Watch yourself."

After a good minute or two of Duo waiting in the shadows, his trigger finger itching, the comm. came to life with Quatre's voice. "We're ready over here, 02. Do your thing."

Duo nodded. "Right, I'll be there soon. Expect base detonation in two minutes counting, starting _now._" He depressed the button and a digital screen began counting off the measly two minutes in red numbers. He rushed out of the janitor's closet, still trying to remain stealthy. His luck seemed to be looking up, as he ran into no guards and was able to skirt around anyone patrolling easily enough.

Outside on the hill beyond the OZ complex, the other two pilots waited in the cover of the tree line. "Two minutes?" Wufei asked blandly, scoffing. "He sure likes to push his luck, doesn't he?"

"It just wouldn't be Duo otherwise," Quatre said with a slight smile.

In the silence, a minute of Duo's time had gone already. Quatre was scanning the grounds with a pair of binoculars, and he did a double take to focus on a moving figure. "I see him." It was their fellow pilot, sprinting out of a building and across the open yard of the complex. "Come on Duo..."

They watched eagerly as the black figure darted around spotlights and made a beeline for the perimeter of the base. He didn't waste any time when he reached the edge of the Oz complex, hurtling up the fence but getting stuck in the barbed wire at the top. The annoyed brunette took a moment to amend the fight between his shirt and the barb, earning a sigh of frustration from Wufei as the other two watched. He finally fell to the ground in a crouched position, shooting off again. Quatre was about to heave a sigh of relief, when he looked at his watch and noticed the two minutes were up. Duo seemed to sense this as well, as his pace kicked up just before a huge explosion sounded. Their eyes widened collectively, watching the waves of flame spew forth from the complex.

Duo peered conspicuously over his shoulder as he ran, eyebrows shooting up comically when a wave of heat blew past him. A moment later, the shockwave of released energy hit him, causing the brunette to stumble with a sound of surprise. He tumbled ass over tea kettle, rolling down the incline for a short distance before the ground evened out and he was up and running once more. When he reached the two at the top of the hill, Quatre looked like he'd just deflated a balloon of worry and Wufei had a hand over his eyes in exasperation.

The braided boy grinned, heaving for breath after his adrenaline rush. "That was fun!"

"Good god Maxwell, must you always flirt with death?"

"It's what I do best baby!"

"Let's just pack it in?" Quatre interjected before the Chinese boy could strangle their braided companion, looking a little harried.

"Sounds like a plan," Duo said appreciatively, dying for a good meal. He threw his arms around Quatre and Wufei's shoulders, leading them towards their Gundams with a grin. "Gentlemen, we're back in business!"

- - - -

After the three pilots took off and started on a course back to Russia, Quatre took a moment to check in with home base. He sent a contact notification to Heero, and it was only an hour into the flight that the Japanese boy responded.

Quatre opened the contact window, showing a grainy image of Heero from his laptop's camera. "How are things progressing?" Heero asked from the safe house all the way in Russia.

"Very well, actually," the blonde replied with a smile. "We've got some good information to sift through and evaluate, and we've had no further injuries. I think we're going to make headway on this thing, Heero," he said in anticipation.

The Japanese boy nodded in approval. "We'll help you determine the worth of the data once you've arrived. Which reminds me, we are relocating."

"Oh? Duo will be happy," Quatre remarked with a hint of humor. The brunette _really _didn't like their safe house in Russia. "He was dying to go back to Portugal where it's warm, so this will be a pleasant surprise. What did you have in mind?"

"Antarctica," Heero replied blandly.

"Heero!" Quatre nearly shrieked.

"It's a joke Quatre," Heero said after a moment, his lips quirking ever so slightly in a smirk.

"Heavens, you scared me," the blonde breathed out. "If you'll pardon me, I just... I don't think I've ever heard you make a joke before..." he said quizzically, eyebrows furrowing. "Are you really Heero Yuy?"

The Japanese boy retained the smirk, and avoided addressing that question. "We're going to Turkey, just outside of İzmir."

"Turkey? Is it going to be warm enough to keep Duo satisfied?" Quatre asked curiously.

"Mild winters. Right now it will be around the mid-sixties on average. Warm enough to keep his mouth shut about the cold," Heero explained to the blonde.

Quatre chuckled. "Okay Heero, I trust you. Do you have coordinates in mind?"

"Yes, I'm sending them. Adjust your current course as soon as possible. ETA?"

"One moment," Quatre said, making the contact window a bit smaller and opening two new ones to his flight companions. "Hey you two, I'm talking to Heero and we're changing the home front. I'm forwarding coordinates, so adjust your flight path. And Duo, it's going to be warm."

The brunette's face broke out into a grin. "Oh thank god we don't have to go back to that cold hellhole! Roger on the coordinates, Q, adjusting course. Tell Heero that he's... well, my hero!" he said with a laugh, closing the window and missing Wufei rolling his eyes. The Chinese boy sent his affirmation as well and Quatre went back to his window with Heero. "Okay, my computer says ETA at 0800."

Heero nodded. "Trowa and I will probably arrive a short time before you three. We already have your belongings packed and are ready to move out."

"Great," Quatre said cheerfully, making the final adjustments to his navigation system. "We'll see you there. Oh, and Heero?"

"Yes?"

"Go easy on Duo. He's been well and thoroughly chastised."

"…Alright."

"See you soon."

- - - -

A few more hours of flight brought the three weary pilots to an out of the way part of Turkey. It was an overgrown expanse of fields and woods surrounding İzmir, where there had once been surrounding cities. Manisa and several smaller outer lying towns had been wiped out in the war of AC 134. While İzmir had sustained substantial damage as well, that city had been the only one among the destroyed area with enough left to salvage. Now over 60 years later, it was a prospering city once more, despite having no neighboring cities for trade and commerce.

The area outside of the city limits was basically ruins of old, fragments and pieces of buildings overgrown by grass and moss by the hands of time. These smaller towns and cities had come to end up how one might imagine the ruins of an ancient, mythical civilization. But for the Gundam Pilots, it suited their purpose well enough. The three Gundams one by one set down in the green, rocky field, just at the edge of a copse of trees that would hide them. About twenty feet away from the woods stood a two story cabin, looking no worse for wear. In the 60 years since the destruction of the city it sat on top of, the house had been built, inhabited, and abandoned. Now it made a suitable hideout for five refugee pilots that were hiding from the world.

Once the Gundams were hidden away in the woods beneath camouflage nets, their pilots began the walk through the tall, green grass to their new hideout. "This is nice," Duo remarked thoughtfully, looking around the country side until he spotted the city of İzmir in the distance. He then looked up to the blue sky, taking a deep breath. "Real nice," he affirmed.

"It's quite relaxing," Quatre agreed with a smile. "This will be a good place for things to settle down."

"A well deserved down time," Wufei sighed.

"Hey Wu-"

"Don't call me that."

"Lemme see that stuff you grabbed from the freeze lock?"

"Oh- here," the Chinese boy replied, watching his step among the overgrown remains of buildings as he took the cylinder from his side bag. He carefully unwrapped the protective padding and handed the canister to Duo, who took it with interest.

"Huh," the braided boy stated quizzically, holding it up to the light so he could see the contents illuminated. It was a simple blue liquid, with no label or cautionary warnings on the outside. "What are you?" he asked it quietly, bringing it back down so he could watch where he was stepping. The brunette put his palm on the glass part of the container, finding it to be chilly despite the fact that it had been out of the freeze lock for some time. The insulation Wufei had put it in helped with that. If it needed to be kept cold, whatever was inside must have been live or active, still viable for whatever purpose it was supposed to serve. "Well, we don't have an entire laboratory to use, but we should be able to get a picture of what this stuff'll do..."

Wufei accepted the container when it was handed back to him, wrapping it back up to keep it cold. "Well it's going in the refrigerator to preserve whatever properties it holds, so don't drink it thinking its juice."

Duo snickered as they headed up the porch steps of their new cabin, opening the screen door to let his friends go first. Once they had all filed inside and hung up their no-longer necessary coats, the three turned around to see a gun trained on them. The braided boy sighed and rolled his eyes skyward. "Down boy," he told Heero. "Heel."

The Japanese boy scoffed and put the safety back on his gun, setting it on the nearby coffee table. "You," he said blandly, pointing at Duo.

"Me?" the brunette squeaked, fearing this confrontation above all else.

"_You _have already been tackled, from what I heard, so I'll refrain."

Blinking stupidly from where he'd backed away with his hands up, Duo suddenly grinned and started laughing, nudging Wufei. "Yeah, it was a pretty good tackle, too. I even got him to swear at me in Mandarin."

"How do you know it was swearing?" Wufei asked skeptically, one eyebrow raised.

"I don't, but it sure as hell sounded like it would have been swearing if you were speaking English," the brunette shrugged, grinning helplessly. "What was it you called me?"

"Dāizi," Wufei said in exasperation, as if they shouldn't even be having this conversation. "It means 'fool.'"

"Oh," Duo said. "Well that's not too bad. "

"Why are we having this talk here and now?" Quatre interjected, trying to fight off a smile. "We can have Mandarin lessons later, let's get that container in the fridge."

"Container?" Heero asked immediately, watching as Wufei took it out of the bag. He accepted the object when it was handed to him, studying it much like Duo had earlier. His eyebrows furrowed in thought as he puzzled over what it could be and why it was important to them. "Where did you find this?"

"In Research Lab 3 where the hard documents were," Wufei replied. "It was in a freeze lock with three security access codes."

"Then Quatre is right," Heero mused, feeling the temperature in the container. "It should be put in a cold place before it warms," he said, heading into the kitchen to place it in the freezer. "Was it frozen when you took it out?" he asked Wufei after shutting the door.

"No," the Chinese boy replied. "It was cold enough in the container to freeze water, but this was in liquid form."

"Interesting," Heero mused, turning the three. "If you three want to eat or rest, I would like to start looking through the data."

"Sure thing," Duo replied, taking the flash drive in its anti-static pouch out of his pocket. "Go nuts, buddy," he said, tossing the storage device to the Japanese boy. "I'm gonna grab a shower and a bite to eat then I'll help ya," he said, grabbing his duffel from just outside the kitchen doorway and heading upstairs.

"These are all the files that looked important enough to take," Wufei added in, removing the stack of folders from his messenger bag and setting them on the kitchen table.

"By the way, where's Trowa?" Quatre asked curiously, since he hadn't seen hide nor hair of the tallest pilot since they'd arrived.

"Supply run in İzmir," Heero replied, starting to look through the folders with Wufei, the both of them already completely immersed in what they were doing.

Quatre shook his head with a smile. "I'll leave you guys to it. I need some lunch before I can dive into work."

Neither of them seemed to have heard him, so he just left the kitchen to head upstairs and change into clean clothes. With this wealth of information to sift through, it seemed highly likely that the pilots would find at least _one _new lead for all their trouble. They were all eager to find out what this Project Alpha thing was, and if they had to take out a few enemy bases in order to accomplish their goal, then so be it.

But for now, it was time to take a break.

_End Chapter 9_

- - - -

Ugh! Finally chapter 9 is out! I'm sorry for making everyone wait so friggin long!

And for those of you who frequently have trouble comprehending my chapter and story titles, I like to pull random song names and lyrics. =)


	10. I'll Bring the Fire

Red Means Stop

Chapter 10: I'll Bring the Fire

- - - -

When Duo stepped out of the shower, he felt much better than he had in a long time. He may have gotten chewed out, but the team was falling back together and he no longer had to worry about putting his friends in danger. To hell with it being 'stupid' and 'idiotic' of him, he was not going to feel guilty for protecting the rest of the pilots. And there HAD been a tracking device! They couldn't deny that it had been a threat to all of them, so he was done feeling guilty!

His internal rant over, Duo toweled his hair dry, his still injured shoulder giving a bit of a twinge from the movement. It still hurt, but the area was much better than it had been a week ago when he'd first been shot. After wrapping the towel around his waist, Duo faced the mirror so he could check on the wound. It wasn't so red anymore, and it hadn't opened for a few days, so he assumed all was well. There didn't look to be any infection either, which was an extremely good thing. The brunette sighed in content and headed out of the bathroom, walking down the hallway to his bedroom and shutting the door behind him. The small room was mostly barren except for some old furniture, but it was clean and had a window. That's all that mattered to him.

Duo took a moment to just sit on the bed and let out a big breath. He was pretty worn out from the past few days, both physically and mentally. It was really tiring traversing all over earth so often, not to mention getting yelled at, tackled, shocked and feeling completely paranoid every second of the day. Now it seemed that the quiet was ringing in his ears, and Duo knew he truly hadn't let down his guard for the past week until this very moment. Oh to be able to sit and breathe without worrying about anything.

It was only a _little bit _overwhelming.

- - - -

When the braided boy trotted downstairs, it seemed to the others that he was refreshed and a little more at ease. Quatre was sitting at the table with Heero and Wufei, eating a sandwich while they poured over their stolen data. Trowa was back as well, putting away the last few cans of food just before standing up and looking over at Duo with an appraising eye.

"Hi," Duo said with a smile, waving cheekily.

Trowa merely rolled his eyes and walked over to the slightly shorter boy, dwarfing him.

Duo looked up, going a little cross-eyed in his attempt to see the other pilot.

"Don't do that," Trowa stated in his usual quiet, commanding voice.

The braided pilot grinned and nodded. "Yes sir," he said, knowing exactly what Trowa was referring to. Even though he wouldn't say it outright, the taller boy had obviously been worried if he was willing to say anything at all on the subject. That was just how Trowa worked, and Duo was fine with that.

"How's your shoulder?" Trowa asked, losing his stern edge.

"Better," the brunette replied, giving the area a light pat to prove it. "It's almost healed."

"You can move it?"

"Yup," Duo said cheerfully. "Though I know you want to brush my hair again soooo badly," he crooned, leaning closer to the taller boy with a sly look.

Trowa rolled his eyes and walked away. "You're obviously well," he remarked blandly, though Duo caught the tiny upward quirk of his lips.

Quatre watched all this with amused eyes, swallowing a bite of sandwich. "Awww," he stated teasingly.

"Hey, that looks good! Gimme a bite?"

"Uh uh get your own!" the blonde exclaimed, suddenly very protective of his sandwich as he held it out of reach.

"But Quaaaat!" Duo whined, making a grabby motion with his hands for the morsel. "I'm sooo hungry!"

Quatre held his ground, keeping his food safe. "No way. I went without eating just as long as you did!"

"C'mon! I'm weak! I'm about to pass out here!"

"Duo I will defend my meal if you make me!!"

"Oh for heaven sake!" Wufei exclaimed in irritation, throwing the folder he'd been going through onto the table. "I'll make you a damned sandwich if you two will stop acting like children!" he said, standing from the table and walking over to the fridge.

As Wufei went about gathering things for Duo's lunch, the two previously bickering pilots sat frozen, Quatre with his arm stretched out and Duo in mid-reach for the hand that held the sandwich. They stared at him for a moment, comprehending what had just happened, until Duo suddenly took an empty seat at the table, looking like a dog waiting excitedly for his kibble. "Wufei's my new best friend," he stated matter-of-factly, grinning.

"Maybe in your wildest dreams," the Chinese boy said with a reprimanding look, spreading mustard on two slices of bread.

Heero just snorted, continuing to ignore the people around him as he waded through data on his laptop.

"I don't know, Wufei," Quatre said slowly, one eyebrow raised. "Either Duo has voodoo powers or he's right. You've never made him food to shut him up before."

If Duo were a dog, his tail would be wagging in delight.

"Well then it must be voodoo!" Wufei said in exasperation. "We're _not _best friends!"

Quatre merely looked over at Duo, who was grinning and bouncing in his seat like he was torn between being happy and laughing his ass off. The blonde smirked and shook his head, taking another bite of his sandwich.

- - - -

Later, after Duo had eaten the sandwich that was "crafted with love and care by his bestest friend," all five of them were now going through the documents. They'd gone through several bundles of papers, without anything too interesting popping up. There was the occasional mention of the mysterious 'Project Alpha,' but only in passing, without any information on the subject.

"I found something," Heero stated out of the blue, highlighting a set of text in the read-only documents he'd been sifting through. He proceeded to read it out loud since there wouldn't be enough room for everyone to cram in around the screen. "Log Set 24-B. 'Serum 8-4 has been successfully concocted after several failed attempts. The chemical screens come back positive and the mixture has been placed in freeze lock until further notice.'" Heero then typed in a search for the name of their cylinder, which was obviously the serum mentioned in the data log.

"One result," he said after the program finished, calling up the desired document to read this one as well. "_Log Set 24-C. 'Acquired today a test subject for Serum 8-4. Because of security reasons I am not allowed to disclose the purpose or active agent of the serum._

_My director delivered the subject under Lady Une's orders. Apparently he is a Gundam Pilot, but I am instructed only to administer the tests. He has been injected with the serum and is currently being monitored to make sure his system will accept the chemicals. If his body rejects it he could go into cardiac arrest, but his vitals are looking strong. Once he makes it past that stage, the serum may have more side-effects, but it shouldn't be anything too major, including but not limited to: delirium, delusions, and hallucinations_.'"

"That explains _so _much," Duo sighed, rubbing his forehead. His good mood from earlier had severely dampened hearing this discussed again. He hated listening to a data report talking about him in the sense of a lab rat. It made him sick. "Is there more?"

Heero nodded gravely, his eyes scanning back up to where he'd left off. "'_I am told the subject, with the introduction of the Serum, is now enrolled in Project Alpha Wolf. My director has not disclosed what this project entails, but I have some ideas based on what the chemical's purpose is. All I know is he's going to the medical sector next to have a tracking device implanted. Even though he is a Gundam Pilot, I have my concerns about such treatment of a fifteen year old boy. I did not know how young the pilots were until I actually saw him. But I am in no place to disobey orders, lest I feel the wrath of Lady Une herself. The boy will simply have to search himself.'"_

"Wow," Duo said blandly, resting his chin on his hand. "Someone in that place actually has a shred of a heart. Too bad he was a chicken shit," he mumbled.

"Still no one will say what this Project Alpha Wolf is," Quatre murmured in frustration. "It didn't even say what the serum does."

"This is high up stuff," Wufei replied, looking up from where he'd been reading the report. "If no one will say anything about it other than in passing, it must be highly classified. Even the man doing the administration of the chemical didn't know why he was doing it. Which means they were anticipating someone might find out, and they know their security isn't top notch," he concluded in frustration.

"Well, it sounds to me like Lady Une is orchestrating this whole thing," Trowa put in, folding his arms over his chest. "In both this report and the first ones we found they mentioned her dictating Duo's capture for this project."

"I know where you're heading with that," Duo replied, looking up at Trowa. "It's a good idea, but no dice, I think. Une may be a psycho bitch at the flip of a switch, but she's not stupid. There's no way she'd have any data stored if she's threatening the dogs below to keep it hush hush. She's way too crafty for that, she ain't Kushrenada's right hand for nothin'."

"He's right," Heero affirmed. "It was hard enough getting this much. We won't have much more luck."

"But what if we could get someone to talk?" Wufei mused, earning surprised looks from the others. "If we find one of these director's and make him talk, we could easily find out all this information."

Heero shook his head. "No names are ever mentioned. We wouldn't know which of the researchers know, and it's obviously a select few."

Duo, who had been quiet during the last part of the conversation, had an odd look on his face. He seemed puzzled, like he was on the verge of something. "Heero," he said softly, gaining the attention of the other pilots. "Reread the last part of that log, will you?"

The Japanese boy did not question it, merely doing as the brunette requested and re-reading the second paragraph, while Duo listened carefully, filtering every word.

"Something sounds weird in there," he murmured, eyebrows furrowed. "He will simply have to search himself..." he repeated, mulling over it.

"He just meant you would have to find your own answers," Quatre said, not seeing anything off about the statement. But Duo would not have it.

"No," he said quietly. "There's something else there. It's worded in a weird way. Like..." he trailed off in thought, still staring hard at the table top while the others waited. Duo tended to see things that were hidden, and his hunches had proved correct on more than one occasion in the past. "Like a clue..." he concluded, eyebrows shooting up in realization. "Hold on a second," he told them in a harried voice, leaving the kitchen at a jog.

Quatre poked his head out the kitchen door in confusion, watching Duo take the steps two at a time up to the second story of the house, presumably to his room. The blonde turned back to the others, who looked just as confused as he felt. So they waited in silence, listening to the sound of Duo's footsteps above them. They heard him move back and forth across the room a few times, and all was quiet, until-

"Oh _shit!"_

The four pilots jumped slightly from the expletive that traveled loud and clear through the ceiling down into the kitchen, followed closely by running footsteps that went down the hallway and then the stairs. Duo arrived back in the kitchen, looking odd with an anxious look on his face and a single boot in his hand. "Look!" he exclaimed, coming closer and pointing to the heel of the boot. "These are the boots I was wearing on that mission. Look right here!"

They all peered closer, and they wouldn't have noticed anything out of the ordinary if Duo had not pointed it out. Where the hard sole of the shoe met leather, the seam was filled with something dark, neatly smoothed along the edges. It looked like black rubber cement, or some other sealing agent. "That wasn't there before!" the brunette told them, heading over to the drawers to pull out a knife. They watched in wonder as Duo proceeded to carefully operate on the boot, slicing away the layer of sealant until the sole became loose. He came back into good light where the other pilots were and pulled back the rubber bottom, revealing the corner of something white.

"I _knew _it!" Duo hissed in victory, carefully pulling the corner until a folded note came out. The others all moved forward in surprise, watching eagerly as Duo set the forgotten shoe down and unfold the note.

"What does it say?" Wufei asked impatiently.

"It's a phone number," the brunette said in surprise. "And a drawing of a wolf! Oh my god you guys, this is it! I bet it's the guy who felt bad for me!"

"What if it's a trap?" Trowa volunteered cautiously.

"They already had me and willingly let me go, why the hell would they need to set up a trap?" Duo asked in excitement, running from the room.

"What are you doing?" Heero called, standing up to look towards the doorway.

"Going into town to find a payphone!" the brunette called as he ran upstairs, garnering looks of concern from the others.

"I'll go with him," Wufei said gravely, turning to the remaining three pilots with resolve. "He's right. This could be what we've been waiting for."

"I don't like it," Quatre murmured in concern, staring in the direction Duo had gone with furrowed eyebrows and a troubled look on his face. Something about it worried him, but Duo seemed to be dead set on this new development, and he doubted he would be able to talk the other boy out of his plan.

"Someone on the inside is making an effort to extend information," Trowa said thoughtfully. He was also suspicious, but there was always risk in everything they did.

"At least he won't be on his own this time," Heero said in finality. "We'll let him go, Wufei will go with him," he said to the Chinese boy in approval, earning a nod. "Watch each other, and take the comm. unit from your mission in case anything happens."

"Right," Wufei agreed, turning to Trowa next. "How long is the walk into town?"

"About thirty minutes," the taller boy told him. "Just take the north trail and you'll hit Izmir before dark."

Wufei nodded again, looking up when Duo came back into the kitchen. He was dressed properly and had his shoes on now, the pair that _hadn't _been used to carry a secret note. "I'm gonna head out," he told them. "Did I hear something about Wufei coming?"

"Yes," the Chinese boy replied, grabbing his jacket from the back of the chair he'd been occupying. "I'm coming to watch your back, so let's go before we lose anymore light."

The brunette agreed, promising Quatre he'd be extra careful. The only consolation for the blonde was that Wufei was going with him, so Duo wouldn't be alone and in danger when they had just gotten him back. The two bid farewell to the other three pilots, heading out the door and into the green, rocky field surrounding their safe house. They took the trail Trowa had advised, going at a brisk pace to beat the sunset and get to the city of Izmir in a timely manner. To Wufei, Duo seemed to be radiating energy, the possibility of a solid lead making the brunette anxious and excited. He couldn't blame the Deathscythe pilot. They were finally going to get some answers, if all went well.

- - - -

At their brisk pace, it only took twenty minutes to reach the city, first passing through some outer-lying suburbs before they made it to the heart. It was almost dark now, and there were a few people milling about, but not enough to pose a significant security breach for their purpose. They found a payphone near a quaint little diner, and casually strolled over so as to not seem suspicious. Duo dug around in his pocket to find a few quarters, dropping them in and dialing the number while Wufei stood watch, looking bored to the casual observer. The phone rang a few times and the brunette waited impatiently, staring at the screen of the video panel as it displayed a connecting icon.

Finally, a face appeared.

It was a middle aged man, plain and ordinary looking with his brown hair and gold-rimmed glasses. His brown eyes first regarded Duo with confusion and then recognition. "_I_ _was wondering when you'd call,_" he said softly, in a neutral greeting that would be overlooked as a long-awaited phone call from an acquaintance.

"Well here I am," Duo stated, feeling his excitement build up. He avoided the question that was burning at him, 'who are you,' in favor of playing along with the innocent act. "There was something you wanted to tell me?"

"_Yes," _the man said casually. "_You finished all your homework?"_

"Sure did," Duo told him with a grin.

"_Good. I have that video game you wanted," _the man said with an approving nod. "_You can get it as soon as you want. Just go to any West Memorial Deposit and ask for account 788-452-01. The pin number is 5003 and the verification password is 'Wolf.' You'll find your video game there as a reward for doing so well in school," _he said with a nod and a smile.

Duo found himself smiling back, amazed that someone within the Oz association actually had a heart. "Thanks a lot. I really appreciate it," he said earnestly. "Take care."

"_You too, kid," _the still unnamed man said, ending the call.

"We got it, Wu," the brunette said excitedly, turning to the other pilot. "We're off to West Memorial!"

West Memorial Deposit was like a safety deposit box, but for data. You could 'deposit' computer data of any sort, and it was encrypted and locked as it was uploaded into their system, which was heavily guarded with firewalls, passwords, and verifications. You could access the information from any branch location in the world, you just had to have your account number, your pin, and the personal verification password. As the data was downloaded, the encryption was reversed. Duo had never used the service, but he heard its security system was practically unbreakable.

They asked someone where the nearest branch was, and headed further into the city to get there. Luckily the business was open later than a normal bank or a safety deposit box, so they would be able to get the information tonight. Duo met with one of the branch employees, verifying his legitimacy in person as was policy. He gave the account number, the pin, and the password that the nameless Oz employee had given him.

The woman who was helping him typed all this information into her computer to verify, nodding when it all checked out. "Do you have some form of data storage with you or do you want it burned to a disc?"

"Ah, I forgot my USB drive. I'll have it on a disc, please," Duo told her.

The woman nodded, typing away on the keyboard and putting in her own verification info. Once she hit the enter key, the data began to reverse the encryption as it left the system and burned onto the disc. After just a short two minutes, the process was finished and she took the disc out. The teller put the disc into a jewel case and pasted on the transaction label that had printed. "Here you go," she said pleasantly, handing the disc over to Duo. "Can I help you with anything else?"

"Nope, that's it," Duo told her with a smile. "Thank you!"

"Thank you for using West Memorial Deposit," she told the boy as he left, taking the next customer in line.

When Duo found Wufei, the Chinese boy was sitting in the waiting area, and he stood up when he saw the brunette approach. "All set?" he asked.

"Yup," Duo said with a grin, stuffing the disc into his pocket. "Let's go, I can't wait to see it!"

- - - -

"Heero I need your computer!"

The excited shriek from the front door made the three pilots jump in surprise, a few of them cursing Duo's name in result of the loud greeting.

"Will you calm down?" they heard from Wufei, who sounded a little too amused for his usual attitude. "I'm surprised no one shot you."

"HEERO!" Duo called impatiently, running through the house until he found said Japanese pilot in the living area. He was frozen in the task of going through the papers Wufei had brought home from the mission, looking over the back of the couch with an odd look on his face.

"What?" he barked.

The braided boy merely whipped out the jewel case with his precious disc, holding it for Heero to see. "I _need _your _com-pew-tor_," he emphasized slowly, earning a pointed glare from the Wing pilot.

"Don't talk to me like that unless you want your legs broken," he said sternly, getting up to go turn on his laptop as Duo followed along eagerly. The computer was still sitting on the kitchen table, and Trowa was in the room making dinner. Upon seeing the disc in Duo's hand as the brunette waited, the tallest of the pilots grew interested.

"You found something?"

"Yeah," Duo said with a grin. "My pal who left the note in my shoe directed me to this information."

"He practically sprinted the entire way back here," Wufei added in with a smirk as he led a curious looking Quatre into the room. "So let's see what's on the damn disc already."

"I'm sure it's coded," Duo said flippantly, popping the disc out of the jewel case just as Heero gave the affirmative that the computer was booted up and ready to go. "Would you like to do the honors?" he asked the Japanese pilot, who took the disc without a word, never one to turn down a challenge. While Duo was proficient in computer hacking, Heero was the master, and anything that had to do with data hacking, encryption, or decoding, there was no rival. Duo had once joked that Heero's only joy in life was getting into things he shouldn't with the computer.

The Japanese boy popped the disc into the CD drive, closing the hatch and letting the lap top find the new data device. It whirred loudly for a moment, "thinking," as Duo called it, before a window with the contents of the computer came up. Heero clicked on the icon for the disc drive and it displayed the contents of the CD, causing all of them to lean forward. "I haven't even decoded it yet," Heero growled at them, causing the others to back off. Trowa went back to the food on the stove before it could burn, while the other three gave Heero his space to work, who was mumbling under his breath. "Duo," he said shortly, causing the brunette to skitter over. "Did he leave any clues while you spoke to him?"

"Yeah," Duo replied, pulling up one of the other chairs so he could see the screen. It was a large, complicated document with strings of coding and numbers. It looked like it might actually be a challenge to crack. "He called it a video game."

"He sure invested a lot of faith in your ability to figure all this out," the Japanese boy mumbled curiously. "And such measures to keep the transaction of information secret."

"Which means he'd be in deep shit if the superiors ever found out," the braided boy concluded. "Yet he's still going to such lengths to let me in on it. I wonder who fucked up in human resources and hired a guy with such a heart," he wondered with a grin.

"It is out of character for the common Oz soldier or scientist," Wufei mused. "He has to be the one who wrote that data log we found; in there he expressed distress over what was being done to you."

"It's too bad such a kind man is working for people like them," Quatre said somberly.

"Well he's in for the long haul now," Trowa said from the stove area, mixing a large pot of stew. "Oz isn't the type of organization to just let you quit when you know that much. But at any rate, dinner is ready," he added quietly, turning off the flames of the stove.

"I'll eat later," Heero said distractedly, still pouring over the information. It was written in the form of installation instructions for a computer program, and his brain was working on overdrive processing it. Once he got started, he couldn't be stopped.

"Yeah, same here," Duo added, also fully immersed in what was on the screen.

No one bothered to argue with them, as Duo was very much the same way as Heero in that respect. They just dished out bowls of beef stew and took it into the living room to give the two their peace. As Trowa, Quatre and Wufei ate their food and watched the evening news on TV, they could hear mumblings of conversation between the two in the next room. They worked hard over the next two and a half hours to puzzle out the code that the information was written in, completely oblivious to Quatre's presence when he came in to wash the dishes and clean up, as well as Wufei when he came in to make his evening tea.

It was nearing 11 o'clock at night when from the kitchen came a loud slam, as well as something clattering to the floor followed by complete silence. Alarmed looks were shared between the three, who had been immersed in their own activities while waiting for the results. They immediately got up and peered in through the kitchen doorway to see what had happened.

Heero was leaned back in his chair with one hand over his eyes, and near him on the floor sat the cracked jewel case from the disc. Duo had his head buried in his arms, resting on the table top. His fists were clenched, his knuckles bone white on the left hand, while his right hand knuckles were scraped and bloody. It didn't spell good news at all, and it took a good few moments before anyone ventured to speak.

"What is it?" Trowa asked softly.

Heero would not look up, and when Duo picked his head up to look at them, his eyes were glossed over in frustration. He opened his mouth to speak, but couldn't bring himself to say it out loud. Instead, he shook his head and got up, leaving the kitchen and heading upstairs. His bedroom door slammed a few moments later, leaving the rest of the house tense and silent.

"Heero?" Quatre asked hesitantly.

The Japanese boy sighed, a quick, sharp exhale that belayed more of his emotions than he would have liked.

"Duo is dying," he stated quietly.

"What?! But how, why?!" Quatre exclaimed in shock.

"That serum he was injected with is a poison," the Wing pilot explained tersely, not looking at any of them. "It's slowly corroding his insides, and if the antidote is not found he will die from internal bleeding and organ failure. The antidote was being kept at the base in _Bordeaux_," he emphasized slowly, still staring at the far wall.

"Are you telling me we blew up the fucking antidote?!" Wufei exploded in fury. "The only one?! Aren't there anymore?!"

"There is one more," Heero replied quietly.

"Let me guess," Trowa interjected. "Lady Une has it."

"You're correct."

"So what's the problem?" the Chinese boy exclaimed once more. "Let's go find her and get it!"

Finally, Heero turned to face them, focusing solely on Wufei. "The problem is you're starting to act just as impulsive as Duo was!" he snarled angrily. "We can't just march in through the door and walk off with it! Do you have any idea how much security she'll have around her!? Not to mention we have no clue where the hell it is! It's a miracle one of us hasn't died already and you want to run in with no idea what the fuck you're doing?!"

"Well excuse me for trying to _do _something about it!" Wufei yelled back, stepping forward until they were almost nose to nose. "I've busted my ass for him, running all over hell and dragging him back, and I'm not going to let him fucking rot from the inside out after all that!"

"STOP IT!" Trowa thundered, stepping between the two and physically separating them. "You two screaming at each other like children isn't going to help him!" he snarled.

But Wufei and Heero would not back down so easily. They started to shout around Trowa, who was doing his best to stop them from fighting, but no amount of shoving them away from each other would get them to stop. His voice began to rise as well, and the shouting match became three sided. Quatre stood back with wide eyes, unable to say anything in light of the information. He just hesitantly glanced upwards towards the ceiling.

While all this yelling and hollering was going on downstairs, Duo sat in his locked room on the floor against the wall. He was squeezed into the little space between the dresser and the bed, knees drawn up to his chest. He had his hands clamped over his ears with crushing force, face buried in his knees. He wasn't crying though, he hadn't cried in ten years.

A gentle knock came at the door.

"No," Duo whispered, shaking his head softly. His eyes remained clenched shut to block out everything. "No."

"Duo?" came Quatre's voice from the hallway, concerned. "Duo please open the door."

"_No,_" the brunette whispered again, softer this time. He scrunched further back into his niche when there came another knock, shaking his head. "I can't do this anymore," he whined quietly, his breaths coming uneven and shaky. "I can't, I can't. I don't want to die like this. Why didn't they just kill me when they had me? Why, why?!" he shook his head again, lashing out with his already injured hand to slam his fist against the side of the dresser. "Fuck! What is this Alpha Wolf thing and why _me?!_ Damnit!" he snarled, slamming his fist into the dresser again until it actually splintered through the siding. He had no concern for the blood oozing from the scratches, just anger, so he lashed out and fisted his other hand into the bedspread, ripping it off with fury. "I'm not _taking _it anymore!" he said furiously, getting up off the floor to put an ear to his door.

Quatre had given up and had gone back downstairs, where Duo could still hear raised voices. They weren't yelling at each other anymore, but he could tell it was still tense. The brunette stuck a hand into his pocket and pulled out the crumpled piece of paper, glaring at the numbers written before shoving it back away. "Hope he doesn't mind a late call," he growled, smirking as he went over to the window and opened it up. He didn't want anymore babysitters, any more mothers or leaders telling him what he could and couldn't do, and they would surely think he was up here bawling his eyes out and leave him be. Well that worked out perfectly, he thought as he slipped outside into the darkness. Let them all think they were making the grown-up decisions. Meanwhile, he would take matters into his own hands, disapproval be damned. "I've had it up to here with all this," he growled, slipping out of the bedroom and onto the weather-worn shingles.

After some careful maneuvering and placement of the feet, Duo had made his way silently down the roof and onto the ground without alerting the others. He took a glance at the house and smirked, turning around to leave.

"And where do you think you're going?"

Aw fuck it all.

Duo sighed. "Wufei, listen-"

"Because I want to know if there are going to be any asses to kick when we get there."

The brunette turned full around in surprise, staring at the Chinese boy who had a devil-may-care smirk on his face and arms crossed over his chest. It was Wufei's patented I-can-take-on-the-world-because-I'm-awesome posture, as Duo called it, and it spoke waves to the brunette. So slowly, a grin spread across his face. "Not too many just yet. First I need to call my buddy for a little follow-up interview. Then we'll find some names to take and some heads to smash," he told the Chinese boy, starting to walk towards town. Wufei merged with him and matched his pace, looking hell-bent and out for blood. Duo looked at his curiously at a side glance. "Y'alright, Wu?"

"Never better," Wufei replied, meeting the brunette's gaze with determination. Duo could see a fire in his eyes that matched the one he himself felt in his heart and soul, a burning desire to challenge the wrongs that had been dealt out by fate. "Because after all the shit that's happened, you're still going, and where ever that is I'm coming too," he finished, booking no room for argument.

"Well alright!" Duo said with a grin, clapping Wufei on the shoulder. "Who's my bestest friend in the world?" he asked cheekily.

The Chinese boy merely rolled his eyes and shoved Duo sideways, causing the brunette to laugh happily. Because things were suddenly looking a little brighter. He may have had a poison slowly eating his insides, but from now on, whatever he did, wherever he went, it wasn't with a babysitter, or a chaperone, or someone to make sure he didn't do anything stupid. He went with a full-fledged friend who wanted to kick as much ass as he did, and that gave him a good feeling about things to come.

_You just better watch your back, Oz, because now the reaper is out for blood, _he thought with a feral smile.

_End Chapter 10_

- - - -

Well, another way over-due chapter. I hope you guys like where this is going, because honest to god, even _I _don't know what the hell project alpha wolf is. xD I kid you not. I mentioned in some earlier chapter that I just fly by the seat of my pants on these things, so hopefully the lack of plot didn't come as too much of a shock. But I'll make it work, just you wait!


	11. Infinite and Desinent

A/N: Woo! Fast update ever award! I rock! Pfffttt!!

- - - -

Red Means Stop

Chapter 11: Infinite and Desinent

- - - -

It was with a sense of purpose and determination that two boys made their way into town for a second time that night, flirting with the shadows of the city to keep a low profile. The orange glow of the streetlamps cast the shadows far and wide, and with most of the businesses shut down for the night, it created a far different atmosphere than the earlier bustle of late dinner folk and the clubbers. Now the streets were empty and quiet, with the occasional gas station cutting through the darkness with harsh white lights, a beacon for the late night traveler or craver on a mission for something sweet. The pilots found another payphone, a different one than the location they'd used earlier, and Duo punched in the number for his nameless benefactor once more.

Normally he would harbor at least some iota of guilt for calling the guy this late, since he'd willingly passed on information that could have gotten him killed for treason, but Duo was just so fed up that he didn't give a crap. Wherever this guy was in the world, whatever time it was, he didn't _care_, he just wanted a straight up answer for once, a solid lead to go on so this mess could be sorted out and he could get on with his life.

The payphone rang several times, and he waited for what seemed like forever. Eventually the other end picked up, and it showed a dim room with a sleepy looking man. He was minus the glasses and neat clothes, but it was the same guy he'd talked to all the same. He peered drowsily at Duo, putting on said glasses to get a better look.

Without preamble, the brunette jumped in. "Okay, first of all, thank you for going out of your way, but that information helped me _jack,_ because as I'm sure you know, your lab in Bordeaux is currently a festering pile of rubble with subtle hints of mobile suit garnish."

The man over the video feed was steadily getting a worried look, as if the breach in careful communication would cause his angry higher-ups to descend from high and grab him up. He started to speak, but Duo cut him off. "And I'm sorry, but I don't have the patience for code right now. Give it to me straight, where the hell is your boss?" he demanded, leaning in with an evil glare.

The man in the glasses jumped in surprise, his body shifting away from the screen. "_Uh- you- well... I don't know?"_

"Come on, man!" Duo snarled quietly, wary of their vulnerable position on the dark city streets. Wufei was watching his back, but two people were only so effective if the odds tipped against their favor. He wanted this to be quick and he wanted satisfaction! "Just tell me where I can find them! I'll leave you alone and beat the shit out of _them_ so I can get the antidote and _not _have my organs rot into a puddle at the bottom of my stomach!"

"_That's the thing," _Glasses (as Duo had come to refer to the man) told him quietly, eyes darting around worriedly before focusing on Duo. "_I told you all I know. I don't know where they are right now. They were on leave when the base was attacked, so they're still alive, luckily for you, but I don't know where they're posted now!"_

"How can you _not _know?! They're your bosses!" he exclaimed, earning a nervous look from the man. He recognized the mannerisms and posture of his contact, and it just put the seed of doubt into his brain. This wasn't the kind of nervous because he could be found out for what he'd already revealed, he was frightened of revealing _more_. "Listen here Glasses," he said quietly, leaning in with a dangerous glint in his eye. "I don't like treading into these waters with you, but I _will._ You _do _know more, and I want to hear it, otherwise I have a buddy who can track you down in two seconds tops with just this number. I can find you anywhere in the world and we can talk _face to face_ if you prefer."

The nameless man stuttered over his response, trying to find his tongue as a look of fear crossed his face. His eyes shifted nervously and he pushed up his glasses, stalling in an attempt to come up with an excuse.

"And honestly, I'm willing to overlook the fact that _you _were the one who put this cocktail in me. All you have to do is _tell me where your bosses are. _That's all. I won't rat on you, I won't come after you, just _tell _me, and we won't be enemies, got it?" Duo asked in a low voice. It was the voice that came out when the God of Death took over, the voice that did the killing, the maiming, and the persuading. No one had ever come away scot-free when that voice came out.

"_Okay!"_ the man said frantically, holding up his hands in defense. "_They're at the Caledonia Base in Stockholm! They're the four heads of the project there, but the main one you'll want to concern yourself with is Dr. Hayden."_

"Stockholm?" Duo repeated. "They're in Sweden?" he asked, earning an eager yet nervous nod from Glasses. "Do you think they would have another batch of the antidote worked out?"

"_They might,"_ the contact told him, shrugging helplessly. _"If they ever wanted to put a halt on a test involving the serum, they would need the antidote on hand. They may have had another batch of it concocted and made active."_

"They'd better," Duo mumbled dryly. "Otherwise I'm gonna have to shake down Psycho Bitch." The man blinked, and suddenly an entirely different emotion started creeping into his face. Despite the severity of the situation and how pressing the entire matter was, Duo couldn't help but smirk. "You guys call her that too, don'cha?"

Glasses nodded hesitantly, unsure if he should be partaking in the joke with the person who'd just been threatening him.

"Okay," Duo said, bringing back his serious train of thought. "One more thing. You don't know what Alpha Wolf is?" he asked quietly, hoping he'd get just _one more _break, one more snippet of help.

"_I'm afraid not,_" the man said, shaking his head. _"I was never told what the serum was for, only to inject it into whatever subject and then report on the results."_

Duo sighed, scratching his head in frustration. "Oh well. I can shake down your boss and find out," he mumbled, tucking the information away for later. "At any rate, thanks for the tip. Since you helped me out, I _won't _come over there and kill you for holding out on me in our first conversation," he told the man, lacking any sort of humor in his voice. Glasses swallowed thickly, nodding to show that he understood he was being allowed to live. "But," Duo continued, giving him an appraising glance. "If I do end up dead at the end of all this, I _will _haunt you from time to time."

Eyebrows furrowed, Glasses just stared at the braided boy with his mouth hanging partially open. The transition from threat to joke had gone a little too fast and he'd fallen off the wagon. So he settled for staring dumbly at Duo and nodded once more, not quite sure what else to do.

- - - -

After the conversation ended, the boys stealthily made their way back out of Izmir, creeping through the stagnant shadows to return to the rocky outskirts of town. It took about twenty minutes at a fast walk to get back. While the dark of the night was like a helpful veil for their activity, the expanse of open countryside they had to cross was not, spurring them to get back under cover. Their little hide-away was on the edge of a copse of trees, so the security when they got back was welcome.

When Duo and Wufei got back to the house, it wasn't to a barrage of questions and worry, as Wufei had apparently let the other three know beforehand. So the brunette was able to slip upstairs and into his room without too much hassle from the others. He merely had to fill them in on the contents of his latest conversation with Glasses before he was granted reprieve. By this time it was well past midnight, so he was damned tired. He crawled into bed, his wired body slowly relaxing into the comfort of the mattress as the tension of the day began to uncoil. He only had to stare at the ceiling for less than a minute before sleep blessedly took him into its protective hold.

But it was not a sound sleep.

_He was in a dark place. His eyes swiveled around the room, dark and cold with a single pendant lamp hanging above him. He wriggled his wrists futilely against the ropes restraining him, but all it did was rub his wrists raw, the stiff fibers digging into his skin with every movement. His head was pounding, and even in the dark he could see little black spots dotting his vision. Somewhere he could hear voices, muffled through barriers but close enough to be easily detected. Someone was watching him, observing him. He knew because the hairs on the back of his neck were standing up, his metaphorical hackles raised in warning._

_But where was 'here' that these people were watching him in?_

"_He's awake."_

_Suddenly the room lit up, hurting his eyes with the intensity of the cheap fluorescent lights that lined the ceiling. The harsh lighting poured that poured over him illuminated his figure starkly for those unseen people to watch. Once his eyes finally adjusted to the light change, he chanced a look around the room. It was clean and blank, white tile floor with white walls. Directly in front of him was a large reflective panel, obviously a two way mirror. At least he knew where they were enjoying the show from. He subtly shifted his wrists again in an attempt to loosen the bindings, but still no luck._

_The door opened._

"_He should make a fine specimen," the first stranger said as he walked into the room, observing him with a critical eye, as if he were an item to be picked out from a shelf of goods. "He's not first choice, but he'll do nicely, I'm sure."_

"_Specimen for what?" he heard himself asking, in a raspy voice that belayed how long he'd gone without water._

"_Don't trouble yourself over that," the second one told him, turning to his companion and completely ignoring their 'specimen.' "So shall we send him down to the lab?"_

"_Yes, Harvey and his crew will administer the test."_

"_You're going downstairs, Pilot."_

- - - -

Duo's eyes opened abruptly to stare at the ceiling above, focusing on the spackled surface and realizing his ears were ringing. He kept absolutely still, just as he had been when he was asleep, not a muscle moved since his consciousness came back. His brain slowly began working and he took stock of his surroundings. Quaint room, soft bed, blankets over him, and the sound of normal morning activity downstairs. He was not where he'd just been, so that had been a dream, and he was now awake. He was in his little bedroom in the safe house, his insides were slowly being eaten away by a corrosive acid agent, and he was hungry.

Had that been a memory? A forgotten shred of the time he'd spent in the Bordeaux Oz facility being poked and prodded? He felt it must have been, because it lacked the usual bizarre inflictions his dreams usually had, or the random jumping of scenery that did not relate or connect. It had been so stark and clear, all the little details, the voices, his own reactions and emotions, the feelings. But whatever the origin of the images, it would have to wait.

The brunette got up slowly, routinely, and gathered up a pair of clean clothes to head for the bathroom. Despite the fact that the house contained up to five people on a good day, there was no one in the bathroom when he got there. The house actually had two, one upstairs and one downstairs, so that helped alleviate traffic. When he got into the bathroom and shut the door, Duo took a moment to take a look at himself in the mirror, something he'd been doing more of lately. His face was a bit tired looking, his hair ruffled and coming out of the braid from a bad night of sleep. He pulled down the collar of his tank top to look at a healing bullet wound, looking good with a cover of new, pink skin where the projectile had gone through.

He had to look at the reflection for a long moment and think: _This is Duo Maxwell, this is me, and I will not go down without a fight. _He repeated it several times to himself so it would sink in, that this latest series of developments would not set him back like a normal person. Because unlike normal people, he was a god damn Gundam Pilot. He was made of tougher stuff than blood, tissue and bone, and god help him if he let this beat him into the ground after all the shit he'd been through so far. Until the whole issue of his slow demise became painful and he started coughing blood everywhere, then he would put it to the back of his mind and concentrate on _fixing _it, not brooding over when he would kick the bucket. He would become flower food when the time was right, but for now, other things came first.

Like showers and breakfast.

- - - -

When he came down stairs, clean and hungry, he found breakfast blessedly waiting for him. "It's just about ready," Trowa told him when he entered the kitchen, acting surprisingly normal for last night's events. For that, Duo was happy. But not everyone could put things aside in such a neat manner, which came in the form of Quatre giving him a very somber greeting and casting sad glances at him.

Duo sighed. "Quat, stop that, please? I just want to have breakfast in a non-depressing atmosphere and then figure out what the next plan of action is. I'm not gonna die, so let's just focus on other things, okay?"

"I'm sorry," the blonde told him sullenly. "I told myself this morning not to be a damper, that if you could be strong then I could be too. I just... I wasn't prepared for that bombshell, and I'm worried about you, is all," he sighed, pouring himself a cup of tea with averted eyes.

"Buddy, you _are _strong," Duo told him with a smile, coming over and slinging an arm around the blonde's shoulders and giving him a friendly shake. He laughed when Quatre made a startled sound, just barely saving his tea from spilling all over the counter. "It takes a big heart to be in a war trying to keep your own hide alive and still be so concerned about other people, so don't worry about it, alright?" he asked, patting his friend on the back.

Quatre reluctantly allowed a smile, sighing as he looked at the brunette. "Alright," he said softly. "I trust you."

"Good!" Duo chirped, giving him one more pat on the back before going to dish out some breakfast. "Cause I'm going to Sweden within the next day or two," he told the two pilots currently with him. This came as no surprise, as he had explained the result of his follow-up phone call with Glasses, so they had been well prepared for the announcement. "I just need to do a little preamble research to make sure I know where Hayden will be and the level of security."

"I suppose Wufei will be accompanying you?" Trowa asked casually, briefly leaning out of the kitchen to call in the remaining two pilots for breakfast.

"Probably," the brunette replied with a sneaky smile. "He's my new partner in crime, at any rate, so he'll probably want to be in on this."

"Damn straight I'm coming with you," said pilot declared as he entered the kitchen. "As soon as we finish breakfast we're going to start planning, so get your fill," he told the braided boy, dishing out a plate of food and sitting down at the table with the other three. Heero entered a moment later, taking his seat once he'd gotten his serving and completing the group.

"Tell me what your mission is going to entail," he told Duo and Wufei, starting to slice up his eggs. "Depending on what you have in mind, you might need more hands."

Duo took a bite of his bacon, wiping his fingers on a napkin as he charted out a visual map for the Japanese pilot. "Well, first I was planning preliminary data-gathering, then once we get there, stake out of the base for a day to get the guard shifts and changes down, find any cameras, traps, holes in the security. Recon. Then we make any necessary changes to the game plan based on what we find. Move in after dark when the patrol is swapping out, then sift the system for information. If my pal isn't around at that hour to shake down, then I figured I'd feed a loop into the security cameras of the lab I want, then I'll hide out and wait for him to get there. Catch him off guard and then find out what I want to know."

Heero nodded in approval. "Sounds secure. I recommend you also use specs for the compound layout. I can find them for you."

"Oh, good idea," the brunette replied, looking over at Wufei. "Then we can mark up the cameras and figure out the angle coverage," he said. "Thanks Heero," he told the Japanese pilot.

Once breakfast was finished, Duo and Wufei sat down to start planning out the fine details, make a list of the supplies, and draw up a tentative schedule of when they would carry out each phase. During this time, Heero was busy finding them the map of the Oz facility. He also found a topographical representation of the surrounding area with contour lines to show elevation of the terrain. After about an hour, the three of them converged to lay out the information that had been gathered so far, making notations on the maps and any necessary changes to their supply list. Heero was well known for his steel-tight mission parameter mind frame, so he was a big help to the planning process.

Quatre and Trowa would stop by from time to time as well, adding tid-bits of input to help them. Duo knew that the others wanted to come, but having more than two of them on a mission was a waste of resources in most cases, and they needed to be free for actual assigned missions, not running around on something that was technically personal business. In fact, about two hours after breakfast, Trowa was called away on a mission. But the remaining two pilots saw them off as Duo and Wufei stood about to leave. Quatre wished them good luck and Heero just gave them both a look that promised hell if they didn't come back alive.

With that cheerful non-verbal threat hanging over their heads, the two pilots got into their Gundams and took off after running preliminary diagnostic checks on everything. The open sky greeted them welcomingly, an endless pathway for possibilities. But today, the pathway to Stockholm was the one that called. The Gundams ate up the distance before them like nothing, and they took the free time to further discuss the game plan.

This time it was all or nothing, and Duo was intent on ending this thing once and for all.

- - - -

A few hours and one time zone later, dusk was descending upon the pilots in their flight, casting the land below them in shadows while the sky was still relatively light. They were only a few miles away from the Oz base now, getting ready to find an area to set down so they could do recon. "I'm gonna put down," Duo told the other pilot over the audio-link, earning an affirmative from Wufei. The brunette gently eased the controls to slow Deathscythe's speed and start angling towards the ground, where a forest surrounded the isolated base. Just as he began to skim the treetops, something rocked his Gundam with force enough to knock Duo around roughly, sure to leave bruises from the straps holding him into the seat. "We're compromised!" he shouted into the link, pulling back frantically on the controls to steady his wavering Gundam. "Something hit me!"

He had just barely gotten his flight under control just in time for another projectile to slam into him. "Shit!" he swore, pulling uselessly on the controls as Deathscythe went down. The machine skimmed the tall trees roughly, plunging into the forest to land heavily on the ground, jarring Duo in his seat while warning klaxons went off loudly in his ears. Deathscythe's momentum carried him several hundred feet in a skid, half burying the machine as dirt was plowed out of the way with ease.

"_Maxwell!_" Wufei called over the audio, and a visual opened up to accompany the voice. "_Where are you? What happened_?"

"I'm down," Duo wheezed painfully, releasing his death grip on the controls to hold his bruised side. "I'm hit twice, Deathscythe is down," he repeated. "Watch yourself," he told Wufei anxiously.

"_I've already been hit once as well,"_ the Chinese boy told him, looking down to check his scanners. "_But I don't see the enemy anywhere on my readings. I'm going to put down for cover."_

But it was too little too late. Another projectile hit Wufei's Gundam, and Duo saw the other pilot tossed around in his chair over the video-feed. "Wufei!" he called in alarm, seeing the visual blink with static as Nataku was assaulted again.

"_I'm losing air!_" Wufei said as calm as he could despite his alarm. "_There's another suit coming down after me!_"

Duo swore and pushed on the controls, trying to get Deathscythe to stand up, but it was no use. The Gundam's engines gave a rumbling whine in response. "Damnit! Wufei!"

"_They're combing the forest for us, Maxwell!_" the Chinese boy replied, typing in the code to pop his hatch. "_Get out and stay hidden, they're coming in your direction and- oh shit!"_

The brunette could hear yelling in the background and orders to get down, bringing a cold wash of fear to his stomach when Wufei reached out and cut the connection to protect Duo's location. "No!" he shouted, leaning towards the blank screen. "Wufei!" He turned frantically when there came no response, putting in the command to open the hatch. The Gundam's door started to move, but something gave a loud screech, the sound of metal dragging across metal. "No!" Duo repeated, typing in the command again. The same sound came, indicating that the hardware for the hatch was damaged and it had jammed shut somewhere. "Damnit, don't do this to me!" Duo growled, leaning back so he could draw his leg up to his chest and kick the door.

The brunette swore and covered his head as something above him hissed angrily, sending a shower of sparks down onto the pilot that left little pinpricks of tingles on his bare skin. The braided boy unrolled his sleeve cuffs, rolling them down so that his arms were covered. He then proceed to bang on the jammed hatch in another futile attempt to get out, making the ruined machinery groan and spark in protest. "Come on!" Duo snarled at it, "Let me out! Wufei needs help!" He banged his fists against the hatch harder. "I have to get out!" he pleaded desperately, giving one final smash of his fists before he gave up to rest, breathing heavily.

His flat palms rested against the hatch for several moments, stinging from the abuse but soothed by the cool metal. Duo stared hard at the barrier and began to push with all his might, each attempt earning a whine from the ruined machinery in the door. After several minutes of this, Duo closed his eyes in frustration and bowed his head, shaking it angrily. The tingling in his hands was starting to turn into an odd sensation, but he ignored it.

A moment later he felt the resistance of the hatch had gone and he was falling forward out of the Gundam. The brunette's eyes shot open in surprise to the find the ground rushing to meet him. He let out a strangled yell just before twisting in mid-air and landing hard on the ground in a sprawl. For several moments, he lay staring up at the blue sky, not breathing after the impact because the air had been knocked from his lungs. Slowly, his body got over the shock and he gingerly rolled over, pushing himself upright after the twenty foot fall. "Oww," he groaned quietly, making sure to move carefully in case his back had taken too much damage. Deathscythe was about 50 feet high when standing, so it was lucky for him the Gundam had crash landed side ways, otherwise the fall would have been much worse. It was a wonder he hadn't broken anything already.

He looked up at said Gundam curiously, surprised to see that the hatch was closed. "What the fuck?" he wondered aloud, baffled. How had the hatch gotten closed again?

But the mystery flew from his mind once he remembered why he had been trying so hard to get out in the first place. Duo pushed heavily to his feet, swaying a little bit from the head rush but taking off at a run. He flew across the grove of trees as fast as he could, seeing the Oz base come closer. "Oh god, please let him be okay!" he breathed in alarm, pushing himself hard to get there in time. They would surely be executing Wufei, and if he didn't hurry...

"No!" Duo snarled under his breath.

When he got to the tree line, the brunette hesitantly slowed down to stop and catch his breath. He wanted to run in full-throttle, but the logical side of his brain would not let him forget the plans they had originally laid out. There were traps and guards stationed all around the compound, and he was no use to Wufei dead. So he recalled the mental map he'd made from the building specs, blue eyes trailing along the chain link fence until he found the weak spot he'd marked. Duo proceeded forward, making sure to keep in the tree line until he was directly in front of the entry point. It was a spot where the range of the cameras didn't quite cover, so he'd be able to slip in without worrying about anyone in the security room knowing. He'd just have to avoid the guard patrol and he'd be in. Duo looked hard across the compound, seeing no one except for the one patrol near the southwest corner. Once that man had gone around the side of the building, Duo ran from his spot and began to scale the fence, jumping over the other side without so much as a nick from the barbed wire.

Once inside the perimeter, Duo took another quick look around before darting through the darkness to the wall of the building, flattening himself against it. He edged along the building quietly until he got to the duct they had been planning on using, crouching down in the shadows to begin work. He pulled out his pocket knife, inserting the tip into the screw and turning. One by one, the screws all dropped to the dirt, and he had the steel cover off. It was large enough to fit a young man like himself, so he shimmed inside and propped the vent cover up behind him to cover his tracks. Duo then turned around in the cramped space and began sprinting. He could stand well enough, but he was still hunched over, so he tried not to hit his head on the roof of the vent shaft.

When Duo came to a cross section of three different directions, one of them being an opening to the inside of the building, he pressed forward so he could peek out. The vent led to a hallway from what he could see, and there were two soldiers walking by. He stopped and held still, hoping to gain a lead. They were chatting casually, so it was obvious that no one knew he was on the compound.

"Did you hear they just caught a Gundam pilot in the west sector?"

"Yeah? When?"

"About an hour ago. They shot him down, got the sucker by surprise. General Heeler has Bill and Errol interrogating him right now in sector B. There's another one crashed out there somewhere, everyone's lookin' high and low for him. Truman told me all about it..."

Duo listened to the trailing conversation as they went around a corner, his head swimming with excitement. They were only interrogating Wufei! That meant he had time to find him before it was too late! There was no one about anymore, so he jammed his elbow against the vent cover, just barely catching the ruined metal before it could clatter to the ground. The brunette stuck his head out, and after assuring that it was clear, he emerged into the hallway. "Sector B," he whispered in wonder, recalling the map in his head. The vent he'd taken let out into Sector A, so he headed down the west hallway to where he knew the desired area was waiting.

Through much twisting turns and hiding in the shadows, Duo managed to navigate his way through the building without any trouble. He passed the occasional patrol, but his stealth skills were sharp enough that he could hide from them on their own turf. But one of them wasn't so lucky. One man heading around the corner spotted him, but before he could even shout Duo had rushed forward and taken him out, catching the limp body before it could make any sound. Duo took the man's gun and holster, securing it at his side before shoving the body into a utility closet. Finally, he made it to sector B, and he started checking the windows in the doors. The fifth one revealed two armed guards surrounding a teenager tied to a chair.

Duo tensed upon finding Wufei, going on alert. He looked a little roughed up, but he was otherwise alive and intact. He took a moment to think about how he would get the Chinese boy out of there without setting off the alarms or getting Wufei shot. But then, an idea came to him and he smiled wryly.

The two guards in the room looked up when there came a knock at the door. The dark haired one let go of Wufei's shirt, turning towards the door in curiosity. There was no one at the window, but another knock sounded after a moment of silence. "What is it?" he called, sharing a look with the other officer.

Outside, Duo cleared his throat quietly, putting his voice into a deeper pitch before responding. "General Heeler wants to speak to one of you about the prisoner," he said in a heavy voice, lacing it with annoyance. "He says hurry up about it!" He then scooted away from the door so he could hide behind it, waiting patiently. The door then swung open and a guard walked out, shutting it behind him. Duo was on him in a second, putting him under with a well placed punch. He then repeated his earlier action and stowed the man in a utility closet. On a thought, he headed in there with the body, and he emerged a minute later with the Oz uniform on his own person. He made sure his braid was coiled up under the cap securely before heading back out.

Without preamble, he entered the room, taking the other patrol by surprise. "Hey!" he told the guard. "General Heeler told me to take over for Bill," he said, having found out the man's name from his wallet. He avoided looking at Wufei, who was staring at him in confusion. He glanced down at the other pilot before looking away, but he caught the recognition before the Chinese boy steeled his features.

The remaining guard looked at him funny. "You're a little young. Are you one of the new recruits?"

"Yup!" Duo said enthusiastically, "Just started! I can't wait to go out on the field! But interrogating a Gundam pilot must be just as fun, right?"

The guard shook his bowed head in frustration, and Duo took the opportunity to take him out, the same clean punch that had gotten the other one. He carefully lowered the body to the ground, removing the man's weapon and setting it on the lone table that was in the room. He then turned and took out his pocket knife, slicing through the rope that was holding Wufei's arms down.

"What took you?" the Chinese boy asked.

"Man, don't get on me, I got here as fast as I could. The hatch was jammed on Scythe and I couldn't get out!" he told Wufei, clearing away the last of the ropes and then kneeling down to pick the locks on the big metal cuffs holding his wrists. Once that was done and he'd inspected Wufei for injuries, he gave a look towards the unconscious guard. "If we're going to continue the original plan, I suggest we do it now and you take a page from my book," he said to Wufei, gesturing to his pilfered clothes.

The Chinese boy pondered this for a moment before nodding in agreement, kneeling down to strip the guard of his clothes and putting them on over his regular ones. For added disguise security, he took the man's slightly tinted glasses and put them on. They were small like reading glasses, but they weren't prescription so they didn't mess with his vision. An Oz uniform didn't help them blend in too much since they were so young, but it would buy them at least a little extra time to find the research lab without trouble.

While Wufei made sure the coast was clear, Duo dragged the unconscious Oz soldier out of the room and stuffed him in with his buddy in the supply closet, making sure they were both out cold before locking them inside. The disguised pilots then made their way down the empty corridor, on alert as they scanned the area for threats. It wasn't too long of a walk to the research sector, but it was a tense time all the same. There was a viable source of solid information for the first time since the whole fiasco began, and it was making Duo antsy. If they screwed up now, it was all over.

They arrived at the door marked 'Research Lab 2,' and from the hacking Heero had done they knew it was the lab where the scientist Hayden was stationed, the head honcho of the Alpha Wolf project that Duo had been thrown into. The two pilots looked at each other tensely before Duo stepped up to take a peek through the window. He could see two scientists in there, both of them hunched over at the work bench at the far end of the room. So he gave the 'all clear' to Wufei and opened the door, stepping inside.

He masked his surprise well upon seeing the two burly soldiers behind the file cabinets flanking the door, giving them a grin and a little wave. The one with tan skin and dark hair gave him a quiet nod in reply, and Duo adjusted for this new development. The scientists looked over at the two pilots, and the brunette put on his best fresh-from-training-recruit act. "Hey guys, sorry for interrupting. We're new here and I was just really excited to poke around and get to know this base!"

"No problem," one of the researchers said smoothly, beckoning towards Duo. "Why don't you come in? Take a look around."

Duo stopped abruptly at something in the man's tone, alarm bells ringing in his head, and he forced a smile. He turned around, though, just in time to see the smaller guard pull his gun and shoot. "Wufei!" he shouted.

But it was too late. The gunshot hit dead on target, earning a startled yell of pain and surprise from Wufei before he stumbled back against the wall, leaning heavily against it for support. Duo's heart jumped into his throat and he made to rush over.

"Don't move!" the guard told him, halting the brunette in his tracks when the gun pressed up against Wufei's temple. The second guard came over to him and took the gun out of his pilfered holster without resistance from the pilot. He then ripped the cap off of Duo's head, allowing for the braid to spill out and thump against his back. The brunette kept his hands at his sides tensely, staring between the two guards and Wufei. The Chinese boy was on the floor and breathing heavily, one hand over his stomach where blood was slowly staining his fingers.

"Well well well," the scientist said smoothly, catching Duo's attention as he walked up. "Here you are, come back to me, my best test subject yet."

"So you're Hayden," the brunette said tersely, shooting the man a dirty look when the researcher leaned down to observe him. "You're the one that screwed with me," he concluded.

"Screwed with you?" Hayden repeated, somewhat insulted despite his still calm demeanor. "Give me a little more credit than that. I made you _better, _I made you above a mere human!"

"Made me _better?_" Duo asked incredulously. "You call putting corrosive poison in me _better?_ I'm going to bleed out and you think you improved me?" he asked, a look of disbelief on his face.

The scientist laughed heartily, walking around Duo in a slow circle while the chuckles wore off. "Oh my, that would be the leak we had from Bordeaux. Corrosive it may be, but if that were the purpose you would have been _dead _by now," Hayden said with a smirk, enjoying the braided boy's confusion. "To normal people it _is _a corrosive agent, but you were prepped for a greater purpose than to bully you into anything. What was injected into you poses no danger, but in fact makes you something incredible."

Duo frowned, knowing he was treading into deep waters now. "So what does it do?" he asked carefully, eyes flickering down to Wufei to make sure he was doing alright.

The scientist noticed this movement of his eyes and chuckled. "Oh go ahead," he said flippantly, gesturing to the injured boy who'd been stripped of his weapons by now.

The brunette looked over to the guard who had the gun trained on him, and he got a nod of approval. Duo immediately hurried over to Wufei, kneeling down next to the Chinese boy and gently moving his hand away to check on the wound. The bullet had gone into his abdomen, but when he checked he could find no exit wound, putting alarm into his head. "Wu, y'still with me?" he asked quietly, removing his outer jacket to rip off a large strip. He folded this up and pressed it onto the wound to stem the blood flow.

"Yeah," Wufei replied tersely, eyes fixed on the armed soldiers standing over them. He winced when the cloth was pressed to his stomach, holding back the sound of pain that wanted to escape. He'd been shot many times while on the run, but never at point blank like this, and it hurt a lot more with the added force of close distance. He'd been afraid of something like this happening, but he'd been so consumed with helping Duo rectify what had been done, that he'd uncharacteristically pushed the thought of danger aside.

"So have you noticed anything odd happening recently?" Hayden asked, garnering their attention once more. "It should be taking effect about now, has anything changed?"

Duo's eyebrows furrowed. The question caught him off guard, because rather than condescending, like he already knew the answer, Hayden seemed curious, like he was data-gathering. So the brunette thought, searching through the past few days until he came to just an hour ago. When the hatch of his Gundam had been jammed so badly, and somehow he'd gotten out, only to look up and see the door was closed. There had been no sound of ruined machinery releasing, or the sound of the hatch slamming against the hull of the Gundam. He'd just... fallen...

"So there is something," the scientist said with a smile. "Something that defied physics, right? Something that shouldn't seem possible?"

The brunette started to look mildly frightened as the picture seemed to come together.

"Look at your hands," Hayden remarked casually.

Duo's eyes automatically shifted towards his hands, and his eyebrows shot up in surprise and amazement. His hands were giving off a black, coiling mist, like an endless flow of ink dissolving off of his skin in a cloud. "What the fuck?" he whispered, turning his hands over to touch the floor beneath him. He recoiled in fright when his fingers passed right through the cold tiles, turning his hands over and watched them tremble. "What did you do to me?" he whispered shakily, looking up at the scientist.

Hayden smiled, watching with a sense of accomplishment the results of his work. "I've made you _better,_" he repeated softly.

"I've made you a Darkling."

_End Chapter 11_

- - - -

To all my reviewers who've stuck with me for the ride, I really appreciate hearing from you guys! It makes my day to check my e-mail and see a review alert, because I know you guys took time out of your day to lend me some thoughtful words!

In2lalaland: First of all, I appreciate your feedback, because you're one of my favorite authors in this community. But I won't lie, man, that took the wind out of my sails when I first read your review. xD And I hope you don't take that the wrong way, it's not a bad thing. Just know that it _won't _be half-assed. I don't half-ass my stories, that's why it takes so long for updates, because if I don't like what I've produced I don't put out something sub-par. And I do my best work without an outlined plot, because I can shape it and mold it as it emerges.

Please don't think that I don't know where I'm going just because at the time I wasn't decided on what Alpha Wolf was. I know exactly where I'm going, I just don't always know by what means I'll get there, and for me that's the fun of writing. So I hope you'll have faith in this story and in me, and I hope you enjoy it. =)


	12. My Beloved Monster

Red Means Stop

Chapter 12: By Beloved Monster

- - - -

"What did you do to me?" Duo whispered shakily, looking up at the scientist.

Hayden smiled, watching with a sense of accomplishment the results of his work. "I've made you _better,_" he repeated softly.

"I've made you a Darkling."

"What the fuck does that _mean_?" the brunette asked impatiently. "And how does it benefit you?" he demanded, furrowing his eyebrows. What was the point of giving such power to an enemy, a Gundam pilot, when he could have amassed an army of people who were already loyal to Oz? "Why would you give me something you can't control?"

"I can control it a lot better than you think," Hayden sneered. "You just progressed faster than the other test subjects. The serum was supposed to mature inside you over the course of two months, but you found out and came knocking a little earlier than expected. Tell me, how did you get rid of that tracking device?" he asked curiously. "I've been wondering where you went off too."

Duo shared a confused and slightly skeptical glance with Wufei, who also seemed a bit thrown off by the casual and interested attitude of the man standing above them. The brunette hated the fact that this bastard was speaking down to him like a proud science project, but he'd rather be down on the floor where he could be near Wufei in case anything happened. "Um- I fried it," he said finally, earning a hum of interest from Hayden.

"Dangerous," he remarked casually. "Did you get shocked from the failsafe?"

"I guess that's what it was," the brunette replied, nodding. This idle chatter was really making him nervous. The man seemed so calm and casual about the whole thing, maybe he _did _have a way to control Duo and his power? It didn't seem like the usual over-inflated ego, but more like an actual confidence that had validity to it. It made him unsure of what to do. He could either try to escape, or prolong the conversation to get more information, but either way had its dangers. Wufei's injury wasn't bleeding at an alarming rate, but the blood was swelling between his fingers steadily. If he tried to get them out of the situation with the other boy in his vulnerable state, Wufei could be hurt even worse. But if he played along with Hayden and wasted time, Wufei could bleed out without _some _form of medical care.

Hayden, to his credit, was watching the two boys on the floor curiously. His subject's mind was working fast, and he could see the brunette chewing over his options while occasionally looking down at the injured one. The thoughts were flying across his face, and he could tell Duo was pondering between getting more answers or getting the other pilot out of immediate danger. "The bullet is still in your friend, isn't it?" Hayden asked suddenly, a look of calm anticipation on his face when Duo looked over. "You know you can get it out," he suggested casually. Of course Duo could get it out, and he wanted him to do it. That was the whole point of injuring Wufei, was so that he could see his successful experiment in action.

The brunette looked down at his hands, staring at them for a moment before looking at Wufei. The other pilot was holding the cloth over his wound with one bloodied hand, and more was soaking into the impromptu bandage. The quiet Chinese boy met his eyes warily, obviously sharing his thoughts of trepidation. Duo looked back up at the scientist once more before looking at his left hand. He took a deep breath and watched as the inky mist returned, the air around it shimmering as if it were giving off intense heat. He slowly moved his hand towards the bullet wound, setting his hand on top of Wufei's. He watched the black mist ungulate around his hand for a moment, studying it intently. It had spread slightly over Wufei's hand where he touched, like it was creating an opening for him. He took a deep breath and pushed.

Whatever Wufei expected to feel, it never came. There was no sensation of someone rifling around his organs, or even any kind of pressure. All he could feel where Duo's hand had disappeared into his stomach was a cold sensation. Likewise, Duo didn't really feel anything of the other pilot's insides. He was feeling a little lightheaded from the whole thing, but he couldn't feel blood or tissue, or anything else, just a pocket of cold air where his fingers searched for the bullet. He just kept his mind focused on the object that should not be in there, and everything else seemed to disappear around his touch. He knew if he thought about organs or blood he would surely feel it under his fingers, so he steadfastly kept the image of a bullet fixed before his mind's eye.

Finally, his fingers found something cold and hard, and he grabbed it, pulling his hand out.

Everyone in the room watched in amazement as Duo's hand came out clean, and from his shaking fingers dropped a bloody bullet, which skittered across the floor upon impact and rolled to a stop. Wufei moved the cloth away and pulled the hem of his shirt up in amazement, staring at the untouched wound that was still no larger than the bullet that had created it.

"Incredible," Hayden said in accomplishment. "You can already control it! All my years of work are finally paying off!"

"So how was it again that you can control it?" Duo asked quietly, still staring at the bullet on the floor rather than looking up at the scientist. The brunette had a contemplative look on his face, features relaxed and carefully blank as he thought.

"Well you weren't supposed to check in this soon, but we can work with it. We'll do some tests-"

"That's it?" Duo asked, looking up at Hayden with a look of skepticism. "You think I'm going to go along with this?"

"Why wouldn't you?" the man asked confidently. "With such amazing power at your disposal, why wouldn't you cultivate it? You need _me _to do so."

"Or blackmail, right?" Duo asked, raising one critical eyebrow as the wheels in his head turned.

"If it comes to that, yes," Hayden said calmly. "I _do _have your fellow pilot at gunpoint."

"Uh huh," the brunette mused, meeting Wufei's eyes briefly. Silent communication passed between the two in less than a second, and Duo continued speaking. "You know, for someone so smart, you're awfully _stupid,_" he said, lunging up towards Hayden in a flash with one hand and plunging it into his chest. "Don't move!" he told the two soldiers, one of which had his gun ready to shoot Duo. But the brunette smirked at them. "Ah-ah-ah, I have his heart," he told the Oz soldiers, watching the surprise on their faces. True to his word, Duo's hand was wrist deep in the scientist's chest, through the inky little pool, and his fingers were wrapped around the beating organ. He could feel it fight to pump under the pressure of his hold.

Hayden hadn't said anything, the initial look of shock still stuck on his face. He could feel the icy cold sensation surrounding his heart, and five fingers squeezing inside of his chest. He could feel his heart start to jump erratically.

"First of all," Duo said darkly, looking over towards the shorter soldier. "Get your fucking gun away from his head or I'll kill Hayden in an instant. And don't think I won't, because I have all the information I need, he's no use to me anymore."

Slowly, the two guards shared a look between them, and the taller one nodded urgently. The other grimaced and removed the barrel from Wufei's temple, who looked relieved to have the threat gone. Duo smirked, and there was no question who had the upper hand. "That's why you're stationed here, isn't it? He's important, you need to protect him," he drawled slowly. "With such groundbreaking research... And don't even think of shooting me, because I'll yank this sucker right out of his ribs," he told the soldiers. "Now set your guns down. _All _of them, including the ones you took from us."

The two men looked at each other warily, then back to Hayden, who was looking quite pale and still hadn't spoken a word. He nodded hastily at their questioning stares, his hands trembling furiously at his sides. Finally, they removed all of their weapons, including the confiscated ones, and set them on the floor, moving slowly so as not to provoke Duo. He had all of the cards in his hand now, and they knew it. They could shoot him, sure, but if anything happened to Hayden, the General of the base would have their heads on a platter.

"Good," Duo told them coolly. "Now back off, into that corner over there," he said, gesturing with his free hand and watching the soldiers step back to the designated area. Once they were at a safe distance, Wufei pushed himself away from the wall and grabbed one of the guns with his free hand, keeping it trained on the Oz soldiers with a dangerous glint in his eyes. "Good boys," Duo told them. "I'm not even playin' anymore, so you behave yourselves over there," he said, not taking his eyes off them. Behind him, he held one hand out and Wufei slipped a gun into his palm.

"You're not going to do it, are you...?" Hayden asked shakily, garnering the attention of unnaturally blue eyes.

The braided pilot smiled at him coyly, his eyelids lowering in a devious look to torture the man a little. "What? Rip your heart out? No, that's way too gruesome for me, man," he said with a laugh, earning a relieved little exhale from the scientist. "Though you _do _know that I can't let you live, right?"

The guards in the corner made to move forward, but Wufei pulled the hammer of his gun back in warning, and they stepped back. Hayden's eyes widened in fear, and he started stuttering at the turn-around. "But- you said-"

"I said I wouldn't rip your fucking insides out," Duo snarled dangerously at him, losing the edge of humor as he stuck his face close to the scientist's. "Even if I didn't have a personal vendetta against you for all the shit you've put me through, I'd _still _kill you! Your project Alpha Wolf is why!"

The researcher started to shake, stuttering over his words. "You don't even know what it is!"

"Like hell I don't!" the brunette said in rising anger. "You said there were other subjects of your bizarre little project, other 'Darklings' like me," he said in a low voice, dangerously serious eyes keeping the man rooted to his spot. "You plan on making me the leader of this little pack, don't you? Thought I would hail you as some hero for making me into a freak and go along with it? You're an _idiot_, if you thought that. So I have to kill you, because without me, you're just going to make more freaks out of innocent people, or someone who would gladly put the power to bad use."

Hayden was deathly pale now, sweat dotting his forehead as he realized how serious the threat was. Duo could feel the man's erratically thundering heart pulse grotesquely under his calloused fingers, and the expression on his face told the younger man he'd hit the nail on the head. "But- but I-"

"You'd promise not to do it anymore?" Duo filled in for him, smirking. "Bull_shit_, doc. You wouldn't keep your hands clean in the first place, what's to stop you from lying to me and jumping right back in if I let you live? _Nothing_. So it's been fun, truly, but your sick little game is over," he told Hayden, and without preamble, he released his unnatural hold on the man's failing heart and stepped back, drawing up the gun to plant a bullet point blank in between his eyes. A morbid shower of blood and brain matter followed the bullet out the back of his head, the beginnings of a scream abruptly choked off halfway out his lips. With that final look of fear frozen on his face, Hayden's body swayed sickly and went down, falling with a dull thump to the cold tile floor as blood pooled around him.

Duo stood staring down at the body even as he heard the soldiers rush towards him, because two well placed shots from Wufei and the sound of more bodies falling to the ground told him there was no danger. "Underestimating a Gundam pilot was your first and last mistake," he told Hayden's corpse coldly, giving him one last sneer before turning to the other pilot.

His demeanor completely changing in the span of a second, Duo hurriedly approached the tired looking Chinese boy. "How you holding up?" he asked in concern, carefully moving Wufei's hand away from the wound to check on it.

"I'll be fine," Wufei told him, shoving the pistol into his belt so he could have both hands free. "We need to torch this place, so no one can recreate his research."

"You up to that? It's gonna take a little while to place all the charges," he told the injured boy softly, bringing him over to a cabinet to search for a medical kit.

"That will take too long," Wufei said gravely, sitting gingerly on the edge of the desk and wincing when the wound protested. "We'll get out and get to Nataku, she's functioning enough to stand up and take out the base with missiles."

"That works," Duo said, a small grin on his face as he found the first aid kit in a low drawer. He opened it up and hastily went through the contents, pulling out gauze, bandages, and disinfectant. "We're going to have to hurry, we've wasted a lot of time already, and someone will be coming to check on your interrogation soon," he realized, removing Wufei's bloodied shirt so he could get to the wound. He picked up the disinfectant and poured some onto a sterilized cloth, applying it to the bullet hole. Wufei hissed in pain as the agent burned his raw wound, but settled for squeezing the edge of the desk in a white-knuckle grip. His jaw ached from the force of his clenched teeth, but he made no other signs of his pain.

"Almost done," Duo told him softly, giving Wufei a comforting smile before carefully pressing the gauze pad to the wound. He had the injured boy hold it there, then began to wrap the bandages around Wufei's stomach, winding them snugly but not too tight. "There," he told the other pilot, closing up the first-aid kit. "That should hold until we get home. But first... I kinda wanna test something..." he said, walking over to the closest wall.

Wufei watched him curiously as Duo brought up his hands, calling the unearthly black clouds to his fingers and placing them palm-down against the wall. After a moment of hesitation, he pushed, letting his hands disappear into the inky pool within the wall. Next, he lifted one foot and concentrated this new power to his whole body, stepping forward and rewarded to see his foot pass right through the barrier. He turned to look at Wufei, a tentative grin on his face. "Dude, I think I can go through walls entirely," he said uncertainly. It seemed plausible, since he'd gone neatly through the hatch of the Gundam earlier. "I've got an idea," he told Wufei. "Come over here."

Wufei gingerly slid off the desk and approached, watching as the brunette turned to him and took his wrist. "Open your hand," he told the Chinese boy.

The other pilot did as requested, opening his hand up flat like how he'd seen Duo rest his own on the wall. He watched the brunette's fingers swirl with the black cloud, and immediately a chill went up Wufei's spine. Both from the sight of the unearthly power and from the cold sensation that blossomed from Duo's touch on his wrist.

The braided boy concentrated hard, willing the power to extend from his own body and into Wufei's hand before gently pushing. The wall remained solid under the Chinese boy's hand, and Duo concentrated harder, but nothing was coming of it. Nothing except a lightheaded feeling and black spots at the edge of his vision. He immediately withdrew and stepped away from the wall, the world swaying sickly around him for a few seconds before the feeling started to fade. He set a hand to his forehead, waving off Wufei's concerned inquiry. "Okay, we're not getting out that way..." he mumbled. "Let's hurry up before they find us," he said softly.

"I have an idea," Wufei said suddenly, stopping their move towards the door. Duo looked over at him curiously, eyebrows rising in surprise at the devious look on his friend's face.

- - - -

Isaac stared dully at the far wall, sighing in discontent as he adjusted the rifle in his hands. He hated being assigned hallway patrol. It was so boring, what did they expect to happen? Sure, there was another Gundam pilot out in the forest, but there were dozens and dozens of men searching for him and patrolling the perimeter of the compound. What were the chances of him getting inside? Besides, if he were smart, he would be running the opposite direction, not coming into the enemy base. He'd heard on the radio that both of the mobile suits had been taken down and one of them had been found, and they had captured one of the pilots. He kind of wanted to go see the interrogation, just to see what such a badass pilot must look like, but he'd get in trouble if he left his post again. Scott hadn't been too happy when he'd left to get a coffee...

While Isaac was busy pondering such things of coffee and Gundam pilots, he didn't notice the pair of hands slowly emerging from the shadows behind him. He did, however, feel an intense pain when they grabbed his face and slammed his head backwards into the wall behind him, knocking him out cold. He slid down the wall in a dazed heap, never knowing what hit him.

A moment later, Duo stuck his head out from the wall to observe his handy work, eyeing the poor fool on the ground before pulling back into the room and looking over at Wufei with a grin. "Now that was pretty cool," he admitted cheekily, earning a self-satisfied look from the Chinese boy. "C'mon, the hall is clear," he added on a more serious note, heading for the door. Even so, they both had their guns at the ready, and Duo put his hand on the knob and turned to his partner. "Okay, so we'll back track to where I found you and then to the vent shaft where I came in, alright?"

Wufei nodded, and no further words were spared. Duo did not need to ask if he was alright because they'd both gotten out of tighter situations with worse injuries. Besides that, there was no time for resting a wound while in the middle of enemy territory, and right now they were knee deep in the bad guys. Being alright or not did not make a difference. So the brunette merely nodded in return and opened the door, sticking his head out to check once more that the coast was clear. He turned back to Wufei and gestured with his head to go, and they left the protective hold of the research lab.

Their first steps into the corridor were quiet and carefully placed, but without being too tentative. The two pilots had fixed up their stolen uniforms as best they could, trying to blend in still in case they came across anyone. Wufei had thought it best, since neither of them was in prime condition for a fight. The Chinese boy had lost a fair amount of blood, and while not life threatening, he was a little woozy. Duo himself was hiding a broken collar bone from his crash in the forest, and it would not be easy throwing anymore punches than he already had. Besides the main injuries, they both had many more sore spots from being shot down in their Gundams, so stealth and blending in seemed like their best option.

They were just passing the interrogation room where Duo had found Wufei when they rounded the corner to see a broken down utility door. The brunette's heart jumped into his throat, because he knew it was the closet where he'd stowed the first soldier he'd knocked out. "Shit," he mumbled tersely.

"There they are!"

"Shit!" he repeated, right before the sound of a gunshot had them ducking back around the corner. At the end of the hall they'd just come into was a group of soldiers, and one of them had to have been the man Duo had stowed in the utility closet. So now the brunette's presence within the base was compromised, and surely they knew Wufei was gone from his interrogation. "Damnit," Duo mumbled, peering around the corner only to pull back as a stray bullet grazed the wall. He looked over at Wufei, who had his gun poised as if to shoot into the fray. "Hold on," the brunette told him quietly, garnering the attention of cautious eyes. "I'm going to take a short cut and take them out. If you need to, shoot from time to time to distract them," he said softly, earning a nod from Wufei.

The braided boy carefully concentrated his power so the wall under his shoulder yielded, and he slipped through into an adjacent hallway. It was blessedly empty, so he ghosted down the corridor against the wall, carefully judging the distance he needed to go. When he was sure he'd end up behind the group of enemies, he carefully pushed through the wall and peeked around. The backs of six men greeted him and he felt his heart speed up. He had to time this right, otherwise he'd be fucked and Wufei would be all the way at the other end of the corridor if Duo got into trouble. So he took a quiet breath and aimed at one man in particular, pulling the trigger of his pistol in quick succession and taking out two of the soldiers before they realized what had happened.

While their attention was turning to him, he heard Wufei take a shot at the end of the hall and take out one more Oz soldier. "Duo!" he called in warning, and the brunette had just enough time to hear footsteps behind him before hands grabbed him and whirled him around. Stars exploded across his vision when he was slammed forward into the wall and his broken collarbone was jarred roughly. A crippled sound of pain left his lips, and since the shadow powers were new, his instincts went to the gun first. He craned his wrist around painfully and jammed it into the man who was holding him, pulling the trigger and earning a scream of pain.

But more descended on them, and when Duo turned around to hazily aim the gun through his clearing vision, he realized they had Wufei. The Chinese boy was struggling valiantly and picking off more of the swarming soldiers with well placed shots, but there were so many grabbing at his arms and restraining him, that he was losing the battle. Duo's senses were going crazy, trying to fend off the man that was struggling with him over the gun, while also listening for more threats behind him and trying to get to Wufei. The pistol was wrestled away easily when his left arm was twisted, causing his broken collarbone to erupt in a fiery pain.

Finally, Duo took a shuddering breath and concentrated to make his wrists slip through the iron grip, thankful for the advantage of his unearthly power. Without the harsh hold, his momentum carried him forward and slammed him against the wall again, sliding down so he could lash out with his leg and knock the soldier over with a well placed sweeping kick. The man went down heavily, one more obstacle out of the way, but this time Duo had a little more trouble getting up. He heard Wufei fighting a few feet away, and that spurred him to keep going. But when he swiveled around in his crouched position, someone roughly grabbed a handful of his hair near the scalp. He could only freeze in fear when something familiar, in all its glory and horror, pointed at his face.

Duo had only mere seconds to react when the barrel of the gun was pressed to his temple, the cold kiss of metal sending a chill down his spine. Time seemed to slow down for the brunette, and he became extra sensitive to the shifts and changes in the environment around him. He could feel the air to the left of his temple shift as the soldier started pulling the trigger, could hear the badly oiled mechanism grind in protest as the gunpowder inside ignited. In that moment, he calmly closed his eyes so everything was dark, and all other sounds fell away until all he could focus on was the bullet being expelled from the chamber. He took a breath, let it out slowly, felt the world around him like a book being played as his own to manipulate. He was in control, he had no fear, he had the cards.

The bullet passed right through his head.

He heard Wufei choke out a furious yet anguished snarl of protest, but it trailed off when he came to the same realization as the soldiers.

The bullet came out clean on the other side. There was no blood, no scream of pain, not even a flinch. Slowly, Duo's eyes opened, almost as if he was coming out of a peaceful dream, and they turned up to the Oz lackey holding his hair. The man looked frightened, because Duo's eyes, as Wufei had come to notice, had turned into the most intense, unnatural shade of blue, like no human being had ever possessed. "That was pretty cool, huh?" he asked softly, earning a choked utterance of shock from the man.

And then time sped up again and he slammed his interlocked fists into the guard's stomach without holding back.

The man gagged in pain as he crumpled and fell to the floor, and Duo stood up calmly, smoothing out the hair where unwelcome fingers had twisted into the strands. And then a hail of bullets came at him, but he welcomed the challenge with a grin on his face. One by one, the projectiles passed harmlessly through his body, tiny black voids appearing before the bullets and leading them out the other side like guiding passages. Duo just smirked, the emotions on his face showing that he was slowly becoming more and more aware of just how much of an advantage he had with this new power. "You're wasting your ammunition," he told the soldiers easily, taking a step forward and making them all jerk back in fear.

"He's a fucking monster!" one of them shouted in alarm, the gun in his hands shaking with the force of his tremulous body.

"Now that hurts," Duo cooed with a smile. "Why don't you guys just leave, and we won't have to kill you?"

"That one's hurt!" another guard piped up in terrified excitement, pointing to Wufei. "We can kill him!" he told his comrades. He then turned back to Duo, trying to sound strong and threatening even though his voice warbled tremulously. "If you don't cooperate we'll kill the other pilot!"

Duo's calm demeanor immediately morphed into a roiling fury, and his blue eyes darkened in warning with the storm of emotions in his body. His entire body and being was humming with power, giving the braided boy an intimidating aura. "Don't you fucking touch him," he told the men, his voice becoming a little deeper in his anger. Something about it didn't sound quite right, quite human, and it only spurred the cowering soldiers to turn their guns on Wufei in their fear, because they knew they couldn't hurt the braided enemy.

The Chinese boy froze as eight gun barrels suddenly pointed at him all at once, and he knew there was no way he would be able to dodge them all, not in his condition. He felt his already thundering heartbeat pick up to a dizzying pace, and he had a sudden revelation that made his head spin in those few precious moments.

He was going to die.

When the overpowering sound of blasting guns pierced through the room, all he could do was clench his eyes shut and await the inevitable pain. But it never came, and all he could hear was the frightened, almost franticly babbling voices of the men who'd been about to execute him on the spot. Slowly, he cracked his eyes open to see what had happened, and found Duo standing in front of him protectively. But he was completely unharmed, so if the bullets had passed through him, surely they still would have been on target and killed Wufei, right?

And was his failing vision playing tricks on him, or were the shadows subtly closing in? No- no, the soldiers could see it too. They were all backing away in fear as the room darkened, started to shift and distort like a warping film reel. The colors of their surroundings became muddled and unsaturated, a black haze taking place as the room slowly became lost to the shadows. It was grotesque and frightening like a horror film, as if Duo's power was slowly ripping around the structure around them. A subtle wind of intense energy started swarming around the corridor, tugging at hair and clothes and creating a deathly wail of warning.

At the middle of it all stood Duo, his body giving off a coiling mist of black ink, undulating around him like a living organism. This dark cloud surrounding the brunette only made the sharp, unnatural blue of his eyes stand out even more. They glowed with intensity, a trailing shimmer of blue heat coiling out of the irises like unearthly fire. "I told you not to fucking _touch _him," he growled in a distorted voice, and it sounded like two separate entities laced together. It was like the shadows had come to his bidding and were speaking with him, a being all their own that had combined with Duo. Before him, a wall of black, pulsating mist slowly pushed out two dozen bullets, all of them clattering to the floor like rain drops.

Upon sight of this, the Oz soldiers backed away in fear, trying to stay equally as far away from the raging entity Duo had become and the distorting, blackening walls of the room. Duo stretched one arm out, palm open and fingers extended towards the nearest enemy. Shadows immediately came from the floor and walls and wrapped around the terrified man like a giant hand.

The brunette's subtly glowing eyes narrowed and he closed his hand, swinging his fist sideways through the empty air. The man's body followed this movement and he was slammed into the nearest wall where his body fell limp to the floor. The other soldiers screamed in fear and attempted to run down the hallway, but Duo's shadows were faster, and a gaping black hole opened beneath their feet. The men screamed in horror as they fell away into darkness, and then there were only four soldiers left in the braided boy's path of destruction.

Three of them were tossed to the side casually, like the first had been, before Duo walked purposefully up to the remaining soldier. He was the one who had made the threat to kill Wufei, and Duo only had eyes for this cretin. He growled low in his throat, exposing his clenched teeth, before leaning in close to the trembling man. His voice came out low and harsh, that second, darker voice speaking right along with him. "I _told _you not to _fucking touch him_," he repeated darkly, causing the soldier to cry out in utter terror as he tried to back away. Twin walls of black shot up on either side of him, looking like the wings of some giant black bird as they unfurled behind the man. He only had a second to turn around and see them before the shadow wings wrapped around him in a cocoon, silencing his scream as the shadow dwindled and disappeared into the floor.

With the last threat neutralized, Duo's rage started to come down from its peak, the roiling mass of anger inside of him starting to simmer out in black waves. The shadows were leaving his body, fleeing and returning to their normal positions where the light cast them against walls and the floor. Meanwhile, Duo started to sway in his spot as the chaotic power left him, leaving him drained and barely conscious. Wufei had just enough time to catch the brunette before he could hit the ground, carefully lowering Duo to the floor. Wufei could just see blue eyes through his lashes, back to their normal shade of endless blue. "Fei?" he asked anxiously, gripping onto the other boy's wrist as if trying to make sure he was still there.

"It's okay," Wufei told him. "I'm fine. Are you alright?" he asked.

For a few moments, Duo did not respond, until his eyes suddenly fluttered open and life seemed to return to him. "Yeah," he finally said. "M'so tired, though," he mumbled, sitting up on his own now and putting a hand to his aching temple. "Feel like my head is full'uv cotton," he murmured.

Wufei took a moment to look warily around the room, watching as the last of the color returned to their surroundings and the previously warped lines returned to normal. The eerie, distant wind had stopped howling, and all was silent. Before all this mess had happened with Duo, he probably would have feared for his safety just like the soldiers, but now he trusted the brunette with his life, and rightfully so. "I don't know what the fuck just happened, but I'm not surprised it sapped your strength," he said cautiously, looking down at the brunette.

"Don't look at _me_," Duo replied softly, looking down at his hands. "I don't know how I did that. I just got scared when they all pointed their guns at you... and I felt anger pooling in my stomach, and then the shadows..." he trailed off, shaking his head to get rid of the lingering haze. His eyebrows shot up then, and he looked over at Wufei to run a critical eye over him. "Are you hurt? None of the bullets got you?"

"No," the Chinese boy told him with a shake of his head. "You stopped them all dead in their tracks," he said, pointing a few feet away from them.

Duo's eyes followed curiously and he saw a smattering of wasted bullets littered across the floor, a few of them still rolling insignificantly side to side from the amount of energy swirling about the room moments before. "That's... cool," he murmured finally, unsure of what else to say. It was a typical Duo response, a normal sounding observation from him. But the truth of it all was that the power scared him. He could feel the shadows all around him, every one of them like a living entity waiting at his beck and call. The source of it all, his main power, was coiling around in his stomach like an angry snake, and he felt a little sick looking at the damage he'd caused. That monster he'd become a few moments ago was waiting, hiding in the dark and ready to spring when his control was broken down again.

It scared the shit out of him.

And if Wufei could see any of this, he didn't mention anything about it. He just helped Duo stand up and supported him while the brunette got his bearings. "At any rate, I think we've overstayed our welcome," Duo mumbled warily. "I've kinda sacked a whole squadron of soldiers, so they'll be pissed if they find us."

Wufei couldn't agree more, so while the rest of the personnel in the base were wondering what kind of earthquake had just hit them, the two pilots quietly made their way to the vent shaft Duo had first come through. After a trek through the ventilation system, they arrived to the long darkened grounds surrounding the building. Wufei carefully surveyed the area to assess the danger while Duo rubbed his head and warily looked behind them into the pitch black of the vent shaft. Once the guard on patrol had passed, they made a dash for the fence. The brunette had gotten in easily enough, but now the problem was getting back out with both of them injured. Once again he found himself trying to get Wufei through the fence with him by extending his power, but it worked just as well as it had the first time.

Frustrated, Duo had to restrain himself from kicking the stupid thing to let off steam, but Wufei just placed a hand on his shoulder and shook his head. "It's alright, you go ahead and I'll do it the old fashioned way. I can make it over," he assured. The brunette sighed and nodded, knowing it was the truth. But what good was this stupid power if he could only pass himself through solid objects? He'd seen a cartoon once where some girl had an ability similar to his, and she could just fucking grab people and drag them through walls with her like nothing!

Duo fumed silently over this as he passed easily through the fence, keeping an eye out and a gun trained while Wufei scaled the barrier carefully. His pants snagged briefly on one of the rusty barbs, but some quick work and deft fingers released him from the hold, and he was down on the outside of the fence with Duo in no time. Wufei was surprised at how easy it had been to get out after the braided boy wiped out all those soldiers. They hadn't seen a single act of resistance, and it had been a cakewalk to sneak past the only guard patrolling the perimeter. It seemed like things were starting to look up, even for him, who usually looked at the glass half-empty and wondered when the next bomb would drop.

But the other bomb _did _drop.

There were two dozen armed soldiers stationed around each of their Gundams.

"Oh _balls."_

_End Chapter 12_

- - - -

Oh yeah! Another chapter! It's a little bit shorter than the last one, but this seemed like a good place to end. And can you guess which one of our boys uttered that closing line? Hah, like you can't tell.


	13. You and Me, No Referee

Red Means Stop

Chapter 13: You and Me, No Referee

- - - -

Nicolo's eyes opened abruptly, startlingly green eyes staring into the pitch black forest for several moments. "The game is on," he said to the other soldiers.

And he smiled.

- - - -

"_Son of a bitch_," Duo whispered in frustration from their hiding spot. "When does it end?"

They'd come to Nataku first, since Wufei was certain she would run well enough for them to torch the Oz facility, but there at least twenty soldiers surrounding the mobile suit. There was no way to sneak up on them either, because there were flood lights set up around the Gundam and every man had a rifle. The reach of the bright light extended many feet around the area Wufei's Gundam had cleared away upon impact, leaving the soldiers in a much better position to defend themselves than if they had been surrounded by foliage and weak lighting. At this rate it would be like stepping out into broad daylight with how completely exposed the pilots would be.

"We'll think of something," Wufei told him calmly, his mind working furiously to come up with a plan. They could always go on the run to recuperate, but they were so far away from any cities or towns it wouldn't be worth it. They had no food, no medical supplies, and they were both injured. It would take a miracle to get out alive.

Duo looked down at his hands with furrowed eyebrows, trying to think of a way he could be useful. Though the power frightened him in its fullest extent, he still wished he knew how to pull out that monster from before and just swallow up all of the soldiers into the shadows. They wouldn't have nearly enough time to shoot down all of the guards before someone turned a rifle in their general direction, and if they ended up pinned down by even one weapon they would get pinned down by the rest. Duo growled quietly and fisted his hands, not noticing when the inky mist formed around his clenched fingers.

But someone did.

"I know you're out there, Darkling."

The two pilots froze in the darkness of their hiding place, stunned by the sudden voice. That was what Hayden had called Duo, a Darkling. How did he...?

"Come on out, shadow wielder, I can feel you. I know you're here."

_Feel me? _Duo wondered in fear. _What the fuck is he talking about?_

"If you don't come out now, I'll have these men turn their guns on you. I know exactly where you are."

The pilots shared a look of shock between them, unsure of how to react. The brunette looked back and forth between Wufei and the direction of the soldiers, his mind running in circles trying to figure out what to do. Finally, he took a deep breath and set a hand on Wufei's shoulder. "Stay here," he whispered, almost inaudibly. "They don't know you're out here too. I'll go out an' talk to him, you keep quiet an' be my backup."

Wufei's eyes hardened at the request, and he fisted a hand in the braided boy's shirt to yank him forward and shake him a little to let Duo know just what he thought of that plan. "Duo-fucking-Maxwell, if you think I'm going to sit back and just-"

"_Wufei," _Duo hissed, cutting off the other boy. "If you stay here we'll have an advantage. Just _humor _me. Remember what effect bullets have on me as of today?" he demanded quietly, pointing at his temple for emphasis. It was the exact spot that should have been blasted to pieces earlier, execution style. "Just let me talk to the guy and see what's up, then we'll take them out, you an' me."

"I'll give you to the count of five," that voice said, interrupting what the Chinese boy had been about to say. "Come out."

Wufei growled in frustration, releasing his hold on the other boy's shirt. "_Fine!_" he hissed in a low whisper, hearing the man's countdown nearing zero. "Give me a signal if you need help. Go!" he said, trying to keep his instincts in check as he watched Duo walk out into the open. This could be disaster, and he did _not _like the plan one bit, but even if the guy was bluffing, they could easily be shot full of holes with how many rifles there were to cover the forest.

He trusted Duo fully, how could he not after all the shit they had gone through together lately? But it didn't stop the cold knot of nerves from forming in his stomach.

- - - -

Nicolo's eyes snapped to the lean figure that emerged from the darkness, watching as the young man came out with his hands up in surrender. He didn't look like much to the seasoned officer, but he knew these Gundam pilots were a force to be reckoned with. It was a definite 'more-than-meets-the-eye' situation, and he knew to tread carefully, even with the generous cards he held.

"Alright," Duo called in a clear, strong voice as he came forth, carefully eyeing the position of every single soldier and how much security they had around Wufei's Gundam. His eyes came back to study what he could only guess was the ring leader of this particular obstacle. He stepped up to the man, not even flinching when at least a dozen guns pointed at him, and looked up at him. The guy stared back just as casually, and something struck Duo about his eyes, which were a brilliant green. Yet there was something wrong about those eyes, something dark that shouldn't be there. The brunette pushed that thought aside and squared his shoulders. "What did you call me?" he asked curiously.

Nicolo smiled down at the boy, turning to his soldiers and holding up his hand. They stood down obediently, and he turned back to the young pilot. "I called you exactly what you are, because I _know _what you are, Darkling."

Duo's eyebrows furrowed. "So you know about Hayden's little experiment. Who are you? General Heeler?" he asked, only able to assume that this man was the leader of the base. He exuded that calm, asshole-ish air of authority and power. But there was something different about him. He seemed more seasoned than any Oz solider he'd ever met, high-ranking or otherwise.

The man let out a bark of laughter at the inquiry, shaking his head. "No. I am First Lieutenant Nicolo Elov," he said in introduction. "And I know what you are because I was a part of your experiment. I know of your power, _and _your downfall," he said smoothly, eyelids lowered in a way that made Duo angry.

"What downfall?" he asked, keeping his temper in check despite the man's smug demeanor. He was just so tired of these hotshot bigwigs looking down at him like some worm in the dirt, but for the sake of gathering a little more information, he would bear it a little longer. And then when it came time, he'd smash this asshole's face in the dirt and laugh about it.

"I am what you might call your wolfsbane," Nicolo told him quietly, enjoying the look of confusion in the pilot's eyes. "You see, Rolf Hayden made more than just you Darklings," he explained. "He created two types of higher beings through his research and experimentation. He made you," he said, gesturing to Duo with one casual hand. "Who can move through solid objects and call upon the shadows. And he made the Dark Eyes, your opposite and your parallel, your _failsafe, _if you will."

"Failsafe?" the brunette repeated in confusion, eyebrows drawing together as he comprehended that information. "And you're... one of these Dark Eyes, right?" he asked, folding his arms over his chest with a critical look towards the taller man. He snorted, raising one eyebrow. "You're my wolfsbane?"

"Precisely," Nicolo replied just as calmly, matching the stare. "Why don't you try out your power? Show me?"

Duo watched the man suspiciously, who encouraged him once more to invoke his ability. Finally, the brunette brought his hand up and concentrated, watching as the inky mist appeared around his fingers and palm. He looked up at Nicolo to see what the man's reaction would be, but he didn't look frightened or repulsed, which made sense because he had been privy to the experiments going on.

"Very impressive," Nicolo commented, a smirk quirking his lips. Duo met his gaze and froze, noticing something odd. His eyes had become... different. They were brighter green than before, yet darker at the same time, like a shadow had fallen over them. Then the braided boy felt something pinch in his chest that made his breathing falter painfully, wincing when the jerk of his shoulders caused his collarbone to complain. He then looked down at his hand, eyes widening in shock to see the physical manifestation of his powers gone. He took a faltering breath and concentrated, but nothing happened.

Nicolo smirked at the sight of the boy's growing panic, chuckling softly and earning the attention of those worried blue eyes. "That would be my doing," he said casually.

"How...? How are you doing that?" Duo asked quietly, feeling the pace of his heart pick up in alarm. His power wasn't working, which meant he was completely vulnerable to attack and surrounded by twenty-something armed soldiers with only one armed Wufei as backup.

"You see, while our friend Hayden wasn't gifted with the most common sense, he had enough to make _me,_" Nicolo explained. "I am your opposite, created to keep you Darklings under control. It took him a long time to get all this in order, you see," he added casually, shrugging his shoulders. "It took him ten years to perfect the Shepard Program, which was the development of the Dark Eyes. I was the successful subject. Then he began working on you Darklings in Alpha Wolf, though you skipped most of the maturation period," Nicolo told the boy in a jokingly reprimanding voice. "So I wasn't around when you killed the poor fool."

"You see, I can block your powers," the first lieutenant told him. "Your abilities work based on more than just mystical powers. The Darklings work by physically moving the atoms of a structure, be it your own or the object you are passing through. The atomic structure of one moves _through _the structure of another, by just moving atoms around each other. Now Dark Eyes, on the other hand, we operate in the opposite manner to keep you under control. My presence makes the physical composition of anything, including your body, too thick to manipulate."

From his hiding place beyond the floodlights, Wufei felt his entire body on edge as he listened to Nicolo speak. He'd been worried enough letting Duo go out there alone in the first place, but hearing this turn of events put him on hair trigger. He listened closely as the Oz lieutenant explained in layman's terms how both of their powers worked. It was actually highly interesting to hear in a concrete way how it operated, because the idea of scientifically giving someone a mystical power was just beyond ridiculous. Something in him enjoyed hearing the explanation and trying to fill in the blanks and the fine details for himself, but knowing that Duo now had no advantage what-so-ever snuffed out that little bit of interest.

He wanted _so badly _to just shoot that asshole in the head to eliminate the threat to his friend, but they were still learning about Duo's powers the more he talked. If he took out Nicolo before Duo gave him the signal, the brunette would be pissed. He knew he had to have patience, to be calm and wait it out like any other mission he'd ever been on, but something was different this time. His finger was itching, faintly trembling over the trigger of the gun in anticipation, and he'd never wanted so badly to kill someone.

_Patience_, he reminded himself, taking a deep breath to calm himself.

Meanwhile, Duo was weighing the information he'd gathered. _That sounds like a bunch of bullshit mumbo-jumbo to me. Doesn't sound like any science I ever read about, but fuck it all if this guy isn't telling the truth about one thing. He's blocking my power, _Duo thought grimly, trying to figure out how the hell he was going to get out of this situation. Then an idea struck him, but he needed clarification. "So your power... it's kind of like mine. You're consciously blocking mine, right? Like I have to consciously manipulate atoms, or whatever it was," he asked curiously.

"Correct," Nicolo replied. "The make-up of the Darkling, the 'blueprints,' you could call it, was based off of the successful research of the Dark Eyes, so in many ways you and I are similar. But the big difference is what our powers do," the older man said, a smirk on his face as he rolled his head to get a few popping sounds from his neck. "However, I'm afraid our little science lesson is over. If you'll come with me?" Nicolo asked calmly. But it wasn't a request or an invitation; it was a demand, an order hidden beneath a false mask of politeness.

That made it no surprise when he reached out and grabbed Duo by the arm, thankfully on his good side, and pulled the boy as if to wrangle him. But the brunette had anticipated this, and instead of resisting like any sane person would, he let his full weight fall into the grasp, catching the older man off guard. Duo used his momentum and Nicolo's backpedaling steps to knock into the Dark Eyes, causing the man to fall back. Duo steadfastly ignored the sounds of cocking guns around him, instead rolling over the lieutenant and snatching the gun from his holster while bullets littered the dirt around him. He landed in a crouch, ignoring the pain of the projectile that slammed into his shoulder, and grabbed Nicolo in a choking headlock to press the gun to his temple. "DON'T MOVE!" he snarled in pain and fear.

All around him, the movement of incoming soldiers halted and went silent, leaving Duo's heavy panting audible in the quiet clearing. "Don't. Move," he repeated, slowly this time. His injured shoulder, the same that had _just _healed, was bleeding heavily, and his arm was visibly trembling. For a few moments no one dared breathe, except for one soldier behind him who was slowly taking aim, careful and concise...

The gunshot that pierced the silence and made them all jump did not touch Duo, but instead came from Wufei's gun as he emerged from the bushes. The brazen man who'd been ballsy enough to disobey was dead on the ground, a neat shot leaking blood down his frozen face. The Chinese boy came into the light, holding his gun firmly with a thundering heart. "None of you fucking move, or you'll end up like him!" he demanded quietly, moving closer to Duo to make sure he was okay.

The brunette was still breathing heavily, a tight hold on the lieutenant, whose face was turning blue from the fear-fueled choke-hold. He looked up at Wufei, relief showing in his eyes because he knew how close he'd come to dying. "Thanks, man," he said quietly, quirking a stressed grin up at the Chinese boy.

Wufei nodded, not taking his eyes off the twenty or so enemies surrounding them. Two against twenty were not good odds, but they had made due with worse before and gotten out alive, if barely. On a thought, he made a note to Duo. "If you want him alive you should let up a little," he suggested casually.

The brunette looked down at the lieutenant, whose eyes were starting to roll upward from lack of oxygen, and he felt his tense arm jerk painfully to ease up. The man automatically took a long, gasping breath to fill his starving lungs, coughing a little. "Not so high and mighty now, are you?" Duo asked him quietly, narrowing his eyes with a grim smile. He then looked up at the soldiers. "Leave your weapons!" he told them harshly. "I know you'll be in deep shit if you stand there and let your lieutenant be killed, so pile them up and back off!" He had no intentions of keeping the man alive, since he would be nothing but an eternal threat to Duo so long as he lived.

But Nicolo had other plans. While his soldiers were moving to do as they were told, the lieutenant lashed out with one leg, knocking Wufei's feet out from under him. Before either of the Gundam pilots could react, Nicolo reached up and fisted his hands into Duo's hair, flipping the braided boy over himself and onto the ground. As this happened, the two sides erupted into a frenzy of chaos, with Wufei fighting to keep his balance and shoot at the rushing tide of soldiers, and Duo struggling with Nicolo over the gun. The grappling hands clamoring over the weapon quickly strayed, and no one noticed one more loud bang amidst the fray of shots fired.

Duo stared at Nicolo in shock, because the barrel of the gun was buried in the brunette's stomach. But there was no injury, because with the older man distracted from the power he held, Duo had enacted his own trump card. Unharmed, he grinned in triumph and turned the weapon abruptly back to the lieutenant and pulled the trigger before the older man could react. A last, gurgling scream of pain was his reward.

Now, while bullets littered the dirt around him once more, the American abandoned his now dead opponent and jumped up to cover Wufei, who had been dodging attacks and picking off what soldiers he could. Stray bullets came way too close for comfort as they fought off the dwindling number of enemies. Some of them grazed the boys and others hit their mark, but before the pain of injury could become too much, Duo and Wufei killed the last of the opposing force.

Exhausted and wounded amidst a sea of fallen bodies, the two boys took a few precious moments to breathe. It was a miracle neither of them had died after that unplanned upset, and they found themselves turning around to make sure that the other _really _was still alive. "Well," the brunette finally said, his arms trembling a little with fatigue. "We captured your Gundam," he pointed out, needing to fill the silence somehow to really confirm that they weren't dead. Duo brought a shaky hand up to inspect his re-injured shoulder, feeling hot and heavy blood soaking his shirt where the bullet had gone in. But this time, he could enact some advanced medical care. Wufei watched curiously as Duo brought forth his power, awkwardly reaching into his shoulder to search for the bullet with a look of concentration on his face.

It took a lot less time than his first experiment with bullet extraction, and he soon enough was pulling back with the bloodied projectile in his hand. "I can get used to this," he said in a dumbfounded voice, still as amazed as the first time. Then he looked up at Wufei. "You must've gotten hit somewhere, yeah?" he asked quietly, already spotting the bloodied pant leg. "Let me help, man," he invited in a soft voice, gingerly sitting down and patting the ground next to him.

"By all means," Wufei replied without hesitation, carefully maneuvering himself to sit down as well. The bullet in his leg shot fire up the injured limb with every movement, so he would not regret the painless extraction for pride. He just leaned back as Duo sought out the wound, ignoring the increasingly familiar iciness that accompanied the brunette's ability, trailing wherever he touched with the shadow power. Duo soon enough found where the bullet had entered, the upper, fleshy part of Wufei's left calf. He took a calming breath to ward off the approaching headache, hoping it didn't have anything to do with his power. He then pushed his hand down into the inky pool of mist, carefully feeling for the bullet. Like last time, it did not take long to find the foreign object and he had the bullet out in no time.

"There," he said, ignoring the woozy feeling as it started to recede. "Do you have a med kit in your Gundam? Cause I don't," he added guiltily. He'd never gotten the chance to restock it since coming back from Bordeaux, and it was sitting forgotten on his desk back at the safe house. _Entirely useful, just the way I like it,_ he thought in annoyance.

"I don't either," Wufei replied, shaking his head ruefully. "But it doesn't matter, we don't have time. I'm going to power up Nataku and take out the base before anyone comes after us. I don't know how far away your Gundam is from mine, but if they've found it, then that group of soldiers might have heard the gunshots out here," he explained, sounding a little anxious.

"S'okay buddy," Duo told him, waving the other boy off. "Do what you do."

Wufei nodded in response and stood up to trot as well as he could over to his Gundam. The brunette watched him climb up the mobile suit, knowing it was because Nataku had ended up at an odd angle and the lift cable wouldn't be suitable to ride up as a result. He watched as the Gundam slowly powered up, coming to life as Wufei ran the basic tests and diagnostics to make sure Nataku wouldn't blow up from jammed engines. That would be the last straw in a series of shitty events.

Duo briefly thought about going to find Deathscythe, but there was no telling if he'd been found as well, so the brunette decided to sit back and let Wufei scare off whatever resistance they might meet. Instead, he finally noticed how damn cold it was out here. It hadn't been too bad when he'd first crash landed, but now, well past midnight, the temperature had dropped quite a bit and it wasn't comfortable in the least. He was becoming more and more aware of the fact as his adrenaline started to drain, leaving his tired, injured body exposed. "I hate cold," he murmured bitterly, watching as Wufei's Gundam steadily walked towards the base they had just come from. "Give 'em hell, Wu," he sighed, letting his eyes flutter closed. He couldn't be bothered to get up off the ground, he was just too tired.

He just listened to the sound of destruction and explosions as Wufei made short work of Hayden's research facility and the rest of the Oz compound, feeling vindicated to know the bastard had finally gotten what was coming to him. It had felt good to shoot Hayden between the eyes, even though he hated to admit it. Because admitting to enjoying killing was never a good thing, justified or not. That and the fact that Nicolo Elov was dead made him doubly comfortable, as the thought of the Dark Eyes was no longer a threat.

Duo hadn't realized he'd drifted off until Wufei was at his side, quietly calling his name to rouse him. "Maxwell, wake up. It's time to go."

"Time to go where?" the brunette grumbled, forcing himself to sit up despite all of his aches and pains that flared to life.

"Nataku is not fit to fly," Wufei explained, helping the brunette to stand up without aggravating his sore arms. "I barely got her back into the forest to cover her with the camouflage netting. You said Deathscythe is not in working condition?"

"Yeah," Duo replied. "He's definitely grounded."

Wufei sighed in dismay and shook his head as he concluded their last option. "Then we'll have to make it to the nearest city and come back for the Gundams," the Chinese boy said grimly, eyeing the blood-soaked area of Duo's shirt. "I checked the GPS map whilst in Nataku, and there's a city not too far from here. We should be able to make it."

"Whuh?" the brunette asked, eyebrows furrowing comically as he comprehended that sentence. "But Stockholm... Wufei, that's a long-ass walk," he stated skeptically, really not feeling up to such a trek through the woods. "It's so far away it's not even _funny,_" he stressed. While the Oz base that was currently burning to ashes was named the Stockholm base in terms of location, it really wasn't all that close to the city. It was just named so because that was the closest major city to the facility. They were a good three or four miles away.

Wufei shook his head. "No, I don't mean Stockholm. We're less than a mile from Solna," the Chinese boy explained. "We just need to go west from here and follow the old highway northwest. It will take us to the city and we can find medical supplies and a place to rest for the night. But first we need to detour to hide your Gundam."

Duo whined in dismay, acting rather like a cranky child who just wanted to go to bed. "Awwwright, fine then! Ugh, can't believe I have to hike through the forest," he mumbled crossly, following Wufei as the other boy started heading to where he'd seen Deathscythe's faint blip on his scanners. He held back a smile as he listened to the brunette whine and complain under his breath the entire way.

- - - -

It took about an hour to cover Duo's Gundam in the camo netting and hike uphill to the city of Solna. It was a quaint city that wasn't too big, and hadn't been too severely ravaged from war like the smaller areas around it. There were many little cities and towns that used to surround Stockholm, similar to this one, but a lot of them had been wiped out, just like the cities around Izmir. In the same fashion, Stockholm was one of the few survivors because it was so large and prosperous, the center of trade for miles. But here in Solna, the little suburban area they wandered through was dead silent, seeming almost deserted.

They wandered through the shadows, keeping as silent as the whispering air around them, while they figured out where to stay for the night.

"Here," Duo said suddenly, gesturing Wufei over. It was an old car covered in a pull-over tarp, and it obviously hadn't been used in quite some time. The tarp was worn and faded from the sun, with little fibers coming out from the weak spots. The car also had spider webs going from the undercarriage to the tires, which were flat and worn at the edges. It was safe to say that the vehicle wasn't going anywhere anytime soon, so no one would notice if a couple of kids spent the night. Duo put his hand to the driver's side door and easily pushed through, fumbling around inside until he found the lock and pulled it up. He then lifted the car-tarp and opened the door for Wufei, who crawled inside and into the backseat.

The brunette closed the door and fixed the tarp once more, easily slipping into the car with his powers and leaving no trace that anyone had entered. "Well, this will have to do," he murmured softly, looking around the faded and shabby interior of the car. He settled down as best as he could in the driver's seat while listening to Wufei shift around in the back to get comfortable.

"We'll rest up and head out in the morning," Wufei said, pulling his jacket close. "Try to get some sleep," he advised.

"Yeah," Duo replied absently, rubbing his arms to instill some heat. The uphill trek into the city had kept him pretty warm, but now that he was cooling down, the cold was becoming quite invasive once more. At least in the car they were out of the wind, but it was still pretty cold, even though it was much warmer than outside. He could still see his breath, for christ sake, but what did he expect from Sweden in early winter?

He hadn't realized how long his rambling thoughts had been going until some ten minutes later when he realized that a long span of time had passed. _Man, I can't help it_, he thought petulantly. He could never sleep very well when he was cold. He couldn't manage it as a kid and he couldn't manage it much better now. All he could focus on was shivering and the sensation he had lost from his extremities, making his brain too busy to sleep. He knew what he would have to do if he wanted to get even the tiniest ounce of rest, but it would come with a price. Well, he wouldn't mind too much, but he wasn't sure how Wufei would take it.

Duo shivered harshly, clenching his teeth so they wouldn't chatter so loudly. Another five minutes passed in silence, in which he wondered if the other boy was having as much trouble sleeping as he was. It had to have been 20 degrees outside, and he didn't think even Wufei could handle that kind of temperature. It was just inconceivable.

After a while, he sighed in defeat and turned to look at the other pilot, who was indeed still awake. "Wufei, I'm fuckin' freezing, can I crawl back there with you? Please?" he asked petulantly.

The Chinese boy furrowed his eyebrows as he comprehended the request, weighing it silently for only a moment before something distracted him. "Where's your jacket?" he asked in confusion.

"I took it off so the blood wouldn't dry and plaster it to my shoulder," the brunette sighed in annoyance. "Then I forgot to bring it with us," he admitted, shivering rather harshly.

Wufei sighed, gesturing with one hand. "Alright, come on."

The brunette turned farther in the driver's side and crawled between the front seats, fumbling into the back and squeezing in with Wufei. The back seat was a bit cramped, but it suited Duo's purpose just fine. He snuggled against the other boy, his body shivering violently in reaction to the cold on one side and warmth on the other. Wufei grunted in frustration as Duo pressed as close as physically possible, still wiggling around a bit to get comfortable. "Sorry," the braided boy whispered in a quavering voice. "I'm so fuckin' cold I can't feel anything," he breathed.

The Chinese boy was silent for a few moments as he thought. "Sit up for a second," he decided finally, and when Duo moved away, he took off his jacket. Once he'd leaned back against the door and the brunette was lying pressed against him once more, Wufei wrapped the jacket over them both like a blanket. Duo's skin was ice cold against his own, but at least the shivering was beginning to slow.

Duo sighed in relief as warmth started seeping into his arms. "Thanks," he breathed, nestling into Wufei with a relieved sigh. His shallow breathing was beginning to even out, and he felt weary now that he wasn't focused on freezing to death.

They stayed like that for several minutes of silence, soaking up and sharing each other's body heat in the dead-cold night. It wasn't until a good five minutes had passed that Duo's half-asleep voice filled the little car. "I'm making you uncomfortable," he stated softly, his warm breath washing over Wufei's neck.

The Chinese boy willfully held back a shiver, a massive feat in itself. "Only a little," he answered truthfully. It wasn't exactly because it was an invasion of his space. The bigger issue at hand, if he had to be honest with himself, was that he wasn't sure how his body would react. With the other boy pressed so excruciatingly close to him, the entire thing had the makings of deep embarrassment. He just wasn't used to having another human being so close in a situation like this. He'd been squished next to each of the other pilots at one point or another, but it had been in life-or-death situations, not something as casual as this. "Don't worry about it," he added finally, wrapping his arms around the brunette when he started to slip off the seat. "Just go to sleep."

"Ah huh," the brunette agreed softly. Wufei could only guess that the feathery, tickling feeling against his neck was Duo's lashes as his eyes slipped closed. Both of their shivering had stopped thanks to the contact, so now the interior of the car was still and silent, with only the occasional pain-hitched breath interrupting the quiet. He could still feel the brunette's breath against his throat and the sleepy arms that were wrapped around his torso.

He had to admit, it wasn't so bad.

- - - -

The next morning when Duo woke up, he was stiff, one arm was asleep, the other one was on fire with pain, and both of his legs were cramped. He had to move his body slowly in order to keep everything from erupting in a mixture of pain and that dreaded pins and needles sensation. Beneath him, Wufei was waking up as he carefully got up. "Gimme a sec," the brunette said in a strained voice. "Sore," he grunted. Once his butt finally found a spot on the middle divider between the two front seats, Wufei was able to get up as well, stretching out his own aches and pains.

"Morning," he said shortly, rubbing his aching neck ruefully. In a car with another human on top of you was not the most comfortable way to sleep, and he was feeling it.

Duo seemed to read his mind, knowing exactly what he was thinking. "At least we slept," he said, voice thick from sleep. He rubbed his eyes with the heels of his palms for a full twenty seconds, seeing floating white spots when he finally let up the assault. "Ready to go?" he asked the other boy.

Wufei nodded, fixing his jacket while Duo slipped out of the car. The brunette took a casual look around the neighborhood now that he could see it. The streets were empty, so he carefully turned back around and lifted up the edge of the car-tarp, opening the door a crack so Wufei could get out. Duo then shut the door, lowered the old threadbare tarp, and reached a hand inside to relock the car. The two boys trotted through the brisk morning air onto the sidewalk, stretching their cramped legs as they went. "I'm starving," Duo announced suddenly, his voice still clearing of its sleepy fog as he worked to smooth out his fraying braid. "Wanna find something to eat?"

"That sounds good," Wufei agreed. "I'm hungry too, and we need the energy."

"Well then," Duo said with a grin, pulling out a black leather wallet for the other boy to see. "My pal Bill was nice enough to spot us for just such an occasion," he crooned mischievously, waving the wallet around.

"You little thief," Wufei said in an amused voice, sticking his hands in his pockets as they walked down the street. "You just can't resist, can you?"

"Naw baby, I'm a pick pocket in my heart an' soul," the brunette laughed cheerfully, sticking the pilfered wallet back in his pocket. "Besides, Billy is dead now, what does he need it for? We're still alive and we need breakfast, so cheers to us and boo to him," he said with a snicker, earning a playful shove from Wufei. "Crazy couple'a days, huh?" he asked with a reminiscent smile, absently rubbing his collarbone.

"Definitely," Wufei replied, nudging the braided boy to get him to leave the injury alone. He then pointed across the street to a building, garnering Duo's attention. "Let's go there," he said.

"Wufei!" the brunette said in mock horror, turning a horrified look at his companion. "_You _are going to eat _fast food? _Mr. my-body-is-a-temple?!"

"Knock it off," the Chinese boy reprimanded, glaring petulantly for the teasing. "I'm hungry now and I'm not going to wait around thirty minutes for my meal to cook. Even if it means ingesting a re-heated heart attack."

"Wow, you _are _hungry," the brunette remarked, skillfully avoiding another shove as they crossed the street towards the fast food joint. He trotted up to the glass door and gave Wufei a teasing smile as he held the door open for the other boy. Wufei just rolled his eyes and walked inside, closely followed by Duo, who was just happy to get some food. They walked up to the front counter and studied the menu. The braided boy already knew he was getting a burger and fries, no matter that it was breakfast hour, but Wufei was determined to get the least deadly thing he could find. That ended up being an unassuming breakfast wrap at the very corner of the menu, but it looked safer than anything else.

They sat down in the uncomfortable plastic seats and began to wolf down their meals. Well, Duo wolfed his down. Wufei was eating at a more sedate pace, watching with a raised eyebrow as the brunette devoured his hamburger with gusto. Every few bites, he would grab a couple of French fries and take a drink from his soda. "Oh my god," the brunette said during a pause, taking a breath to recuperate. "Grease-trap food has never tasted so good before," he sighed happily.

"You have a disturbing relationship with food," Wufei surmised with a smirk, taking a sip of water. "I don't know how you stay so thin."

"I have a metabolism like a racehorse, dude," the brunette replied, patting his stomach fondly. "Though I still have to work out to keep my bulging muscles in prime condition," he added, striking a pose that made Wufei snort into his water.

As the Chinese boy rubbed at his burning nose, coughing from the intrusive water, Duo couldn't help but laugh his ass off and lean back into the booth as he held his stomach. Wufei coughed fruitlessly, trying to clear his sinus passage of the burning liquid and rub his watering eyes. He was half tempted to reach out across the table and smack Duo for laughing at him, but that would have made him a hypocrite, because he was laughing too.

Duo was choking on his own air as he tried to breathe around the manic chortling. "Don't die, Wufei!" he snorted around laughter, unable to speak anymore than that.

They spent another few minutes laughing stupidly over the whole situation, fueling each other's reactions. The employees and other patrons were giving them disturbed and offended glances, but the two boys paid no heed to the bunching undies around them. It took some time and some breathing exercises, but they both calmed down eventually. Duo was hunched over with his face in his hand as he got his breathing under control, still giggling breathlessly from time to time. "Oh god my stomach," he whined cheerfully.

Wufei was just getting his breathing in order, his own stomach quite sore as well. "Duo, you son of a bitch..." he said in a half-cough half-chuckle, rubbing at his eye.

The brunette remained still for a moment, before he looked up with a victorious look on his face, with a little bit of disbelief. "You called me Duo..." he said with a grin.

There was a long pause as the other boy thought back to what he'd just said, confirming it for himself. "I guess I did," Wufei admitted with a tentative smile of his own, picking up his forgotten food so he could continue his breakfast. "I said it without thinking, really."

"That's a good thing," Duo said, taking a cue from Wufei and picking his own food back up. It meant that he and the Chinese boy had become much closer than war comrades or soldiers-in-arms. It made him feel good to know he was finally cracking Wufei's shell, god knows the boy needed to lighten up and let his friends in. Duo lazily ate another French fry as these thoughts swam about his head, still smiling from the newest revelation. "Hey Wu," he said after a while, garnering the other pilot's attention. "Thanks a lot for everything. You know, helping me, coming with me through all of this shit," he said in a soft voice. "It really means a lot to me."

Wufei stared at the brunette over his breakfast wrap for a long moment before he slowly nodded. "You're welcome," he said quietly, seriously. He offered up a small smile for the other boy, and Duo happily returned it before going back to the remainder of his French fries.

In all actuality, Wufei had been more than willing to help his friend. At first it had been a kind of obligation. He'd found Duo in his bedroom, arms bleeding, so he took it upon himself to see it through. But when things spun out of control and became more involved and complicated, he kept with it. The night he'd found out that Duo was supposedly dying from the injection, it had escalated into something entirely personal, and he'd be damned if anyone kept him from following through with the situation he'd become so invested in. He'd willingly followed Duo into danger, whereas he'd initially been enraged with the brunette for going into such hazardous situations. Now that he thought on all of it, he realized there was an odd feeling in the pit of his stomach. It wasn't too bad, but when Duo smiled at him, the feeling flared intensely.

It confused him, for one thing.

The brunette sighed suddenly, breaking Wufei out of his thoughts. "The tank has been refilled," Duo said happily, patting his stomach. "Ready to go?" he asked, looking over at the Chinese boy expectantly.

Wufei looked down, realizing he'd finished his food some time ago and was now merely sipping on water to occupy his whirling mind. "Ready," he said once he'd found his voice, standing up from the booth seat. The boys gathered up their trash and threw it into a garbage can on the way out, heading back out into the chill morning air. The cold was slowly starting to ebb as the sun came up, and the weak rays of light hitting their chilled skin gave the two tired Gundam pilots a bit of extra strength for the journey ahead.

_End Chapter 13_

- - - -

Hoo, that was an interesting chapter. But it ain't over yet! The boys gotta get home! At any rate, Wufei seems to be noticing a few things, huh?

Dragons an' fire: I've never run across the term Darkling before, so it's just a naming coincidence. Thank you for the kind review. ^^

Crysania Fay: Are you a mind reader~? *waggles finger at you*

And to everyone else who reviews this story and others, thank you guys so much for your feedback and kind words, it really makes my day. ^^


	14. Whoa Whoa Whoa She's a Lady

Red Means Stop

Chapter 14: Whoa Whoa Whoa She's a Lady

* * *

It soon enough became apparent to the two injured and weary Gundam pilots that getting home wouldn't be a matter of calling for help, or how soon the others could find them. It was a matter of which _shiny _car Duo wanted to pilfer for the road trip. Technically they could get all the way back to Izmir on stolen vehicles, but it would take torturous days of driving, and neither of them liked that option. So they agreed to head north to Uppsala and find a shuttle port there, since it would be too dangerous to travel from a major venue in Stockholm when they had just destroyed a base there. They stopped by a payphone and sent a coded message to the other pilots that they were fine and were heading back, but it would take time since their mobile suits were out of commission. Hauling a non-working mobile suit took time and man-power, and they just didn't have the resources to pull the other three away from missions.

With that out of the way, Duo and Wufei began perusing for a vehicle that would be both easy to filch and provide a comfortable ride.

Duo wanted something sleek and fast, but Wufei insisted on something that wouldn't draw attention to them. The brunette petulantly agreed, drawing to mind the image of a married couple deciding on a family car. Duo, the husband, wanted something fast and flashy. Wufei, the wife, wanted something practical. The whole image just made him burst into a fit of laughter, only further confusing Wufei when he would not divulge just _what _was so funny. It was hard enough not to picture the Chinese boy in a dress arguing over the safety-ratings and crash tests of the car.

It took him several minutes to calm down enough to speak. "Let's get some snacks for the road after we pick one," Duo said, still getting his breath back from the bout of laughter.

"Alright," Wufei replied, walking next to the brunette as they strolled down the street. He was still a tad suspicious over the burst of laughter, but he let it go.

Solna was a small, quiet place, almost as deserted as it had been when they arrived during the middle of the night. With so few people out and about, neither saw the immediate need to sneak around. As long as they were stealthy about the car-stealing business, then there wasn't too much presentation of danger. Duo had gone on a supply run for some clean clothes after breakfast, since the small amount of people they passed had been eyeing their blood stained clothing suspiciously. Now they were in much less conspicuous attire, and ready to get going.

"Here, how 'bout this one?" Duo asked, gesturing down the street with a casual flick of his head. "Gray one," he clarified, talking about a small silver car that was both modest enough for the practical Wufei and stylish enough for Duo.

"That will do fine," Wufei agreed. "I'll head down to the gas station and pick up a few things. Meet me there," he said, heading left on the crossroad of the street they had been going down.

"Will do," Duo called cheerfully, picking up his pace once more with his eye on the silver car. It was a perfect target. It wasn't in front of anyone's home, but in a large yet secluded parking lot. It was parked in front of an office building, so he could only assume the person was inside at work, which gave him plenty of time to coax the car to do his bidding.

Having perfected the art of casual casing of a target from years on the streets pick-pocketing, Duo looked like nothing more than a teenager cutting through the parking lot to save distance. He strolled right by the car and having already scanned the area, didn't even spare a moment to look around before fluidly crouching to the ground and rolling under the car. No part of him touched the undercarriage of the vehicle since he had called forth his shadow powers, and all he had to do was stand up a little and he emerged in the interior of the car. A little concentration on which parts of his body should be solid and which shouldn't, and he easily climbed up into the driver's seat. "Man, this makes things _so _much easier," he marveled with a grin, ducking down to reach under the console.

His deft fingers found wires that he knew by heart, and being such a small person, he was easily able to twist his torso around so he could see what he was doing under the dashboard. Duo's expression was one of amused challenge as he worked carefully and fluidly around the wires, creating a path for the current and then giving the starter a jump. Occasionally, he'd take a peek out the window to make sure no one was coming, and quickly got back to work once assured that the coast was clear.

In no time flat, the engine purred to life under his skill and he sat up straight, grinning lazily. "I still got it," he snickered, putting the car into gear and driving sedately out of the parking lot. Honestly, who else had the balls to hotwire a car in broad daylight and get away with it?

When he pulled up into the gas station and pulled into a parking spot to idle, it was not two seconds before he saw Wufei emerge from the mini-mart with a plastic bag containing food and drinks. His gaze immediately found their getaway car and he fluidly walked over, getting into the passenger side and shutting the door behind him. "That was fast," Wufei remarked as he settled the bag at his feet, one eyebrow raised in curious amusement.

"That's because you're with the master of all things illicit, buddy," the brunette remarked with a smirk, putting the car into drive and heading out of the gas station. "I've been hotwiring since I was ten, y'know."

"That's a great thing to brag about," Wufei remarked with a snort, putting on his seatbelt as Duo found an on-ramp and merged onto the highway.

"Make due with what God gave you, I say," the braided boy said proudly. "Did'ja get any drinks?"

"Some water, iced tea, and a soda," Wufei replied, pulling the bag open. "Which do you want?"

"I know you don't like soda, so I'll take that," the brunette replied, earning a hum of consent from the Chinese boy as he pulled the bottle from the bag. Wufei uncapped it and handed it over to the other pilot. "Thanks," Duo said, taking a swig from the drink. He capped the bottle and set it into the drink holder by the gear shift, sighing in a way that sounded to Wufei both worn out and relieved. "I can't wait to get back. We have a hell of a tale to tell the guys, all this shit that's gone on."

"That we do," Wufei replied, feeling quite worn out himself. "Lucky you have the means to show them, otherwise they wouldn't believe a word of it."

"They'd put us in the nut house for Gundam pilots," Duo laughed, tapping one thumb against the steering wheel in a lazy manner. "I just can't wait to relax for a minute. Though we're gonna hafta worry about how to get the Gundams home."

"Well, we'd be hard pressed to find the necessary parts around here to get them functional once more," Wufei surmised, reaffirming what they already knew. The parts that configured with a mobile suit like their Gundams weren't too common in your run-of-the-mill scrap yard. "Most likely we'll have to double back once we have the proper supplies, just enough to get them to a place where we can do real work."

"Yeah. Howie might have some spares that we can use," Duo suggested, thinking of all the times the old man had helped them out before. "We don't need much to get the babies up an' running, but it's enough that it's a pain in the ass the find at the drop of a hat. We'll give the old dude a call when we get back. He'll wanna know how all this shit turned out anyway."

"He did promise to belt you if you didn't contact him immediately," Wufei noted with a wry smirk, opening the bottle of iced tea to take a careful sip.

"Sure did," the brunette replied, chuckling. "An' he'll do it too. Old codger don't go back on his word for nothin. You saw him whack me when we got to his ship."

"Mm hm," the Chinese boy intoned, his smirk growing as he recalled the punishment.

"Hey, don' do that," Duo immediately scolded, knowing where the other pilot's thoughts had gone too. "Not funny, man," he whined.

"Too sensitive," Wufei teased. "You need to roll with the punches."

* * *

Almost an hour later, the pilfered car pulled off the highway when they came into the city limits of Uppsala and saw a sign for the nearest travel venue. This city was significantly more active than the little ghost town of Solna, so the lax atmosphere became decidedly more alert. They followed the off ramp to the shuttle port and drove by once just to get a look at the state of things.

"Fuck," Duo swore, pounding the steering wheel a little. "They have the place on high security," he hissed.

This was true. There were soldiers stationed around the perimeter of the shuttle port, the presence becoming heavier near the terminal. Every person who was going in and out was being checked and briefly questioned, as word had surely traveled that Gundam pilots were nearby. Duo swore again and continued driving to avoid suspicion. "What do we do now?" he asked in irritation, heading away from the heavily guarded area.

"Well," Wufei said slowly, already having an idea clear in mind but knowing how his companion would react to such a thing. "We could attempt a disguise of sorts. It would surely make getting through easier."

"A disguise?" Duo repeated, his distracted gaze still fixed to the street as he thought of his own solutions. He still hadn't quite caught on to what was being implied. "What do you propose I do? Lop off my braid? Fat chance!" he scoffed.

"There's another option," the Chinese boy said carefully, subtly shifting as far away from the Deathscythe pilot as possible. "With your hair released from the braid and a change of clothing, you might pass for a woman," he coughed.

"Fuck no!" Duo exclaimed, and the sudden swerving of the car made Wufei cling to the door handle in surprise as the brunette took a sharp turn around the corner. He pulled along the immediate sidewalk, putting the vehicle into park and turning a venomous glare at the Chinese boy. "I am _not _going to parade around as a chick! I _refuse!"_ he snarled.

Wufei folded his arms calmly over his chest, even though his heart was still hammering from the abrupt swerve. "Then what do you suggest we do?" he asked in a level tone, giving a look that just _dared _him to find anything better. "They will be looking for two males, one with long braided hair. You stand out, Duo. But a young lady and a young man won't draw nearly as much suspicion."

Duo looked furious, but there was a dawning terror in his eyes that said he clearly knew what he would be subjected to. He growled in defiance and clenched his fists, because he was currently battling it out, searching desperately for any other plan that would get them through the port alive. But nothing came forth no matter how hard he thought, and he finally let out a whine of dread. "God, Wu, do I have to?" he asked pathetically, already looking resigned.

"We can always _drive _all the way to Izmir," Wufei replied in a calmly sarcastic tone, because really, that was the only other option besides cutting off Duo's hair. He could see the mental battle going on behind Duo's eyes, the absolute _dread _and ire for being asked to do such a thing, but he could tell that the brunette knew what he had to do. Duo wasn't stupid, even though he did stupid things from time to time.

"Ugh! Fine!" he relented, dragging a hand through his bangs in an irritated manner. He abruptly turned to Wufei, glaring daggers at the other pilot while he held out a threatening finger. "But I _swear, _one word of this to the guys and I will make your life _hell!"_ he growled.

"Alright," the Chinese boy relented, trying to fight the smile that wanted to pop up. "I swear on my honor, I won't tell the others," he said honestly. "Now we should probably update your wardrobe if we're going to pass you off as a girl."

* * *

It only took a half hour to scrounge through the nearest thrift store for a disguise, and some fancy lying on their part just to do that much. Duo reluctantly freed his hair from the braid. While it was a bit grimy and frizzy from all they had been through in the past few days, it came out of the confines in kinked waves. One look from Wufei told the brunette exactly what his friend was thinking. "_No,_ I don't have wavy hair. It's only natural it would come out like this being braided all hours of the day," he explained. A few minutes of raking his fingers through the ungodly mess made it relatively presentable. All this to shop for girl clothes without looking like a total creep in the thrift store.

Now in the car, he struggled into a pair of jeans that hugged his hips and a shirt that made his shoulders look narrower than they actually were. The clothes flattered him in all the right places to make him look more feminine, and with a little bit of eyeliner to make his eyes look bigger, the image he presented flabbergasted Wufei. He was trying not to stare, really, but it's not every day you see your male comrade in drag and look so damn _good _in it. It wasn't the most complete disguise or the most well-planned, but he'd be willing to bet money that it got them through security.

"And remember," Wufei was telling him as they gathered things from the car. "A woman doesn't say 'fuck' every sentence."

"Oh yeah, like you're in any position to school me on girls 101!" Duo said in exasperation. "What, are you hiding a pair of knockers under your shirt?"

The Chinese boy furrowed his eyebrows in frustration as he pulled the duffel bag from the back seat. "And another thing, a lady doesn't use crude terms like 'knockers' or anything of the sort," he chastised, closing the door behind him and joining Duo on the sidewalk.

"I dunno, I've met some pretty foul-mouthed chicks," the brunette replied without concern. "But I'll _try _to be a _well mannered _young _lady_," he sighed, rolling his eyes as he strolled down the street towards the shuttle port.

"Then you might want to give it a try _now_," Wufei told him. "You're walking like a slob."

"Sl-! Slob! What?" the brunette demanded, immediately stopping in mid-stride to glare affronted at the other pilot. "I don't walk like a slob! I walk like I don't have a stick up my ass!"

The Chinese boy shook his head, tugging on Duo's arm to get him walking again. "Just try to control your steps a little more. Try to _glide_... and you know, _now _you look like you have a stick up your ass," he said in exasperation, watching the brunette try to glide.

"Ey, fuck you man," Duo shot back, focusing on his own feet as he put one in front of the other. Loosen up a little, step lightly... _glide. _He grumbled in frustration as he tried to walk like a girl, ignoring Wufei's snarky advice to "roll your hips" and subtly trying to implement it without being too obvious. He rolled his damn hips all the way to the shuttleport, and by the time they got to the first checkpoint, he'd successfully become a girl. While Wufei teased that he was a fast learner, Duo ignored the hell out of him and cleared his throat as they were stopped by two armed soldiers.

"Excuse me you two," one of the men said, barring their path. "Security policy is in effect right now, and we just need to ask you a few questions, it won't take long."

Before the Chinese boy could say anything, Duo surprised them both by speaking first, in an oddly natural sounding girl-voice. "No problem, sir," he said, batting his eyes subtly. "We're just going home to visit some relatives of mine."

"Well I won't keep you too long, young miss," the soldier said with a smile, obviously thoroughly convinced of Duo's act. "Where are you two traveling today?"

"Turkey," Duo replied. "I have some family who recently moved there, and they want us to come see the new house. My mother always tells me how beautiful the countryside is," he chuckled in a soft, feminine laugh.

The man smiled, and Wufei could tell by the look in his eye that he was thinking 'what a charming young lady.' The thought almost made him snort in laughter, but he managed to keep a straight face when the man turned to ask him where they were coming from.

After a few more standard questions, the guards let them into the shuttleport terminal, Duo swaying away in his girl walk that wasn't half bad, to be honest. "Damn, you lay it on thick," Wufei told him once they were out of earshot of surrounding soldiers. "He was acting like you were his niece."

"Boy," Duo said in that 'you-have-no-idea' voice, turning to look at him. "You'd be surprised at the things I've picked up over the years. Pretending to be someone I'm not is one of those incurable talents," Duo told him with a grin. "Now look sharp. We're coming to the ticket counter."

Wufei did as he was told as they came to the line in front of the ticket vendor. The travelers in front of the two Gundam pilots trudged through the queue with little patience, arms crossed and feet tapping, while Wufei and Duo merely took the time to pick through the ever changing LCD display of scheduled flights. They found a flight to Bursa leaving in two hours, which was not bad considering they hadn't looked up flights in advance. They would only have to wait around for a little while before check in and boarding started, so they decided to take that and drive the rest of the way to Izmir.

Once their tickets had been purchased, Duo and Wufei walked towards the rest of the crowd towards the bag check that led to the main terminal. The brunette tried not to shift too nervously as the metal detector loomed closer, looking like a beacon of dread. He had no idea how tight that security would be, and if he was going to be honest with himself, someone was probably going to pat them down. Next to him, Wufei leaned just slightly towards him, enough so that their arms brushed. Duo looked over at the other boy discreetly, and Wufei gave him that gaze that said _calm down and play it cool._

Duo's own eyes screamed back, _I'm trying! _It was just so much more daunting for him. What if they found out? It would be suspicious enough on a normal basis to find a guy going through the airport dressed like a woman, but with increased security as they kept a lookout for Gundam pilots, it would be even more suspicious. Fuck, it was nerve wracking!

Finally, their turn came at the metal detector and bag search. They had grabbed up a duffel bag each and filled them with cheap clothes, just to make it look like they belonged there. The boys deposited these for the security officer, and emptied their pockets into plastic trays before going through the metal detector. The device did not sound for either of them, and nothing suspicious was found in their bags. It was what came next that caused problems.

There stood two security officers around the corner, one woman and one man, and Duo felt a knot of dread curl up in his stomach. This was it.

"I'm sorry for the inconvenience," the female officer said with a smile, beckoning to Duo. "But with our current security level, a brief pat down is mandatory for all travelers."

The brunette swallowed and nodded meekly, which the officers just took as shyness for being touched by a stranger. Wufei was as cool as a cucumber as he allowed the male officer to pat him down for weapons of any sort, and he sent a calming glance over to Duo. The brunette tried to relax, stepping forward so the woman could check him over. All went well at first. She checked his side pockets, his back pockets, and his shirt. But as she did one more pass over the front and back, her hand jerked back, eyes wide in appalled fear. "What the fu-"

"Shhh!" Duo shushed her quietly, pulling up the only thing that he could think of on such deadly short notice, and by god was it ever painful. "Please miss," he said in his most meek, innocent voice, whispering as a blush heated his face. "I've been on hormone treatments for a while now, but I haven't gotten the surgery yet," he said in a tiny voice, so only the woman could hear.

She pulled back in surprise as comprehension entered those shocked eyes, and her mouth worked silently for several moments. Finally, she found her voice, her face ashen and tinted with traces of disgust. "Of course, go ahead," she stuttered, waving Duo along.

Duo nodded, taking off after a worried looking Wufei without a word. He brushed past the Chinese boy, face red in mortification as he grabbed the other pilot by the arm and pulled him along. "What happened?" Wufei hissed in shock. "What did you tell her?"

"I don't want to talk about it," Duo replied in a terse voice, gripping the handle of his duffel way too tightly as he stormed towards the terminal, girl stroll completely forgotten.

"But what happened?" Wufei persisted, looking a little less worried and little more curious. "Why would she have let you go if she found out? What did you-"

Thankfully there was no one in the hallway they were walking down, because Duo grabbed the Chinese boy by his jacket and pushed him up against the wall in mid-stride. "She thinks I'm a fuckin' tranny, okay?" he snarled in a quiet voice, face beet red with shame and humiliation. "Are you happy now?" he hissed, releasing the stunned Chinese boy and turning to go without waiting for an answer. He heard Wufei hurry to catch up with him, but the Shenlong pilot held back a step or two to give him a bit of room to cool down.

Duo knew he would get over it, maybe even laugh weakly about it later, but for now he was just so... Ugh! He'd never been more embarrassed in his life! It would have been one thing for a stranger he'd never see again to think he was a transsexual undergoing a _sex change_, but she'd looked at him with such disgust! Like he was a freak! It made him want to crawl under a rock and disappear, that look she'd given him, and made him wonder how hard it was for someone who actually _was _going through that process.

By the time they got to the waiting area for other passengers waiting to board, the brunette had taken a few big calming breaths. He felt like he wouldn't snap someone's neck now, and Wufei seemed to feel it was safe to be within the striking zone. He didn't say anything, but just carefully gave Duo's shoulder a brief squeeze, both an unspoken apology for pushing and also saying 'it's okay' to the embarrassing lie he'd had to use. Duo accepted the contact gratefully, sliding his face into his hands as they sat down in the uncomfortable seats. It took several more minutes of calming breaths before he could speak.

"Next time, _you're _the girl," he strained under his breath, earning a rare smile of humor from Wufei.

* * *

Finally boarded on their plane, the two boys settled into their seats that were thankfully side by side. Duo didn't like sharing with strangers in a place as vulnerable as a plane or a shuttle, it made him nervous. He didn't need to be psychic to know that Wufei was much the same way, and seeing as it was a small flight with only two seats in each row, they didn't have to worry about a stranger cramming in with them. That would have been the icing on the cake in this whole fiasco.

The wait for take-off lasted a short time before they started taxing along the runway, and Duo watched out the window as the tarmac slowly went by. He felt weird not being in the pilot's seat while flying. He didn't like being completely lacking control like this, but it was somewhat nice to just sit back and relax for once. He was dead tired, and by the time they had gained full altitude with the jet softly lumbering high in the clouds above Europe, he felt his eyelids start to droop. He could just take a nap, sleep away the flight and wake up to find themselves in Turkey. Yeah, a nice, quick nap sounded good, just to rest his eyes and remove himself from the buzzing noises that were starting to fade and muffle anyway...

Duo's eyes fluttered open when he felt a weight softly hit his shoulder. He glanced to the side through hazy, half-lidded eyes, surprised to see Wufei asleep against his left side. For a few seconds he just stared at the Chinese boy to make sure he wasn't dreaming, but it was really happening. Now that was out of character. It wasn't unheard of for Wufei to give in and take a bit of a rest, but usually he was so controlled that he kept upright if he happened to be in a chair. Duo's logical side concluded that Wufei must have been exhausted to allow himself to fall asleep on a public flight and had slipped sideways, and that was all. But a different side of him, the suspiciously hopeful part, concluded that _maybe _the Chinese boy trusted him enough on a personal level to let go of the reigns for once.

Or maybe he was just that tired.

The brunette smiled as he listened to the other boy's soft breathing, feeling himself falling back into sleep. He carefully leaned his cheek against Wufei's head, letting out a sigh and a soft whisper of words. "Almost home, Fei."

* * *

"Braid my hair for me, willya? If I remember correctly I broke my collarbone somewhere throughout all this shit."

The plane touched down in Bursa some 1300 or so miles later, and the boys had left the shuttleport without incident. As far as Duo was concerned, nothing as humiliating as the whole tranny incident could ever happen in any lifetime, so he was happy. They found another car to filch from the many in the dark parking lot of the port, and after driving a few blocks away, stopped so Duo could compose himself back into a boy. The girl clothes were discarded in a trash can and now his hair was being re-braided, if a little sloppily.

"I mean, I know I'm amazing, but not enough to tackle that mess with one arm, y'know?" he asked, grinning to himself as he imagined the other boy rolling his eyes.

"Yes, simply too amazing for words," Wufei drawled sarcastically, taking the hair tie from Duo's outstretched hand and wrapping it around the tail of the braid several times. It wasn't the prettiest braiding job, but it was good enough for his first time tackling Duo's four feet of angry hair. "All done," he said, stepping back.

"Thanks Fei," the brunette replied. "Good to have it all wrangled again. Let's head out?"

Wufei nodded, taking out the map they'd purchased from the shuttleport and spreading it out flat on the hood of the car. The pale streetlight wasn't much to see by, but it was enough to vaguely see what the hell they were doing in some sense. "I'll drive this time," Wufei offered, tracing a finger along the road they were on until it led to the highway.

"We'll switch half-way through," Duo replied, consulting the map next to the Chinese boy. "This drive is going to be a bit longer than the last," he murmured. "A few hours, it looks like."

"Mmhm," Wufei hummed. "We just follow E90 until it becomes 881, and that will take us right to Izmir," he said, squinting in the poor lighting. "It's hard to tell, but it appears to be at least 130 miles," he concluded grimly. That meant a fairly long drive, like the brunette suggested. "No matter," he said, shrugging it off and refolding the map. "Let's just get on the road."

"Amen to that, brother," Duo replied happily. They got into the car and buckled up, Duo stretching out and making himself comfortable while Wufei started the engine. There was a strangely muted silence to their surroundings, that absolutely still feeling that fell over a sleeping town in the early hours of the morning when it was still pitch dark out. It was rather relaxing, and that comfortable hush fell over the car as Wufei navigated the dark streets towards the highway. All they could think about was that last stretch for home, where they could finally relax and take a well-deserved breather.

"First thing I'm gonna do is pass out on the bed, don't care what time it is," Duo said lazily, a grin stretching out on his face as he turned to look at Wufei. "You're probably gonna have tea, huh? I know you two have been apart for so long."

"For your information, I _will _be having some tea, and I will _enjoy _it," the Chinese boy said in a snobby voice, eyelids lowered half-way in that you-can't-touch-me-on-my-pedestal look.

The braided boy snickered cheekily at the show. "You've got that attitude down pat, man. At least you know how to employ it for a joke these days," he teased, poking Wufei's arm in a friendly manner.

"Who says I was joking?" Wufei shot back slyly, eyeing Duo sideways with one eyebrow raised. This only caused the brunette to laugh harder. Damn it all if he wasn't amazing, because he'd successfully gotten the Shenlong pilot to lighten up, and it was amazing to see the results of his hard work. He kept up this playful banter between them, and it made the long car ride seem to fly by because they were too busy recounting stories of the past few days to notice the difference. But Duo did make sure to keep an eye on the time, and almost two hours into the trip, he made Wufei pull over so they could switch places.

"But you drove all the way to Uppsala yesterday," Wufei protested, feeling his sense of dignity demand that he be the one to drive this trip.

"Wufei, honey, it's not about driving equal amount of hours, it's about taking turns so we don't die a fiery death of exploding car parts and become Gundam Pilot Flambé all over the road."

The Chinese boy gave him several weird looks all mixed into one, like he had a different reaction to every part of the sentence and by god he just couldn't settle on one expression. "First of all, don't you ever call me 'honey' or I will strangle you with your own braid. Second, it's a four hour drive, I would not crash and kill us," he said with a frown, sliding into the passenger side of the car. "I have a little more endurance than that, thank you. And _third_... flambé is made with combustible alcohol. We would be _roasted _Gundam Pilot."

Luckily for them both, Duo hadn't started driving yet, so it wasn't a hazardous moment when the brunette burst out laughing, holding his stomach as it started to hurt. "Oh my god Wufei! You grew a sense of humor!" he wheezed through laughter, shaking the Chinese boy by the shoulder for emphasis. "You're cured! We can take you off life support!"

Wufei rolled his eyes drolly, but allowed an amused smirk from the braided boy all the same.

* * *

"I'm bone tired," Duo mumbled wearily, dropping his bag to the floor and kicking off his shoes as Wufei closed the door behind them. The Chinese boy carefully toed off his shoes and set his duffel on the floor while Duo continued. "I think I'm gonna sleep for a few million years, starting right now," he said groggily.

"Don't you want me to check on your shoulder first?" Wufei asked curiously, pausing mid-way in the act of hanging up his jacket. "Your collar bone? Anything?"

"To hell with my shoulder, man," the brunette replied, and it was obvious that he was completely serious. He just sighed and rubbed his head. "I'm _so _fuckin' tired from all the running around we've been doing, and I'm sure you're just as beat as I am, so do yourself a favor and just _go to bed_," Duo told him. "You need it, especially you with the bullet hole in your stomach," he said seriously, his face changing as he remembered the injury. "How's that feeling?"

Wufei looked down and carefully laid a hand across the bandaged wound, putting just a little bit of pressure on it to test out the tenderness. It hurt, of course, but not too badly, nothing that caused him worry. "It doesn't feel infected, so it should be fine," he told the brunette calmly.

Duo frowned, chewing on his lip as he glanced back at the stairs to his bedroom longingly. He _really _wanted to go to bed, but... aw, damnit. "Maybe we should check the owies," he admitted, getting behind Wufei and playfully pushing him into the living room. "C'mon you."

Wufei smirked in amusement as he was herded towards the couch. It still confounded him sometimes how Duo could have complete disregard for himself and then get all frazzled over someone else's state. This time was no different, but he didn't mention anything about it and simply sat down on the couch, waiting while Duo disappeared into the downstairs hallway to look for the first aid kit. Wufei was rather tired as well, but he knew the importance of treating an injury as soon as he had the chance. He didn't want the braided idiot to suffer any infections or permanent damage either.

"Alrighty. I never thought I'd say this to you, but Wufei, take off your shirt."

* * *

When Quatre got back from his mission in the late morning, it was an immense relief to see Duo and Wufei's shoes thrown in with the rest near the door. Knowing the tendency of Duo to conk out when he came back from a mission, he treaded quietly as he put his things down and went upstairs to check on the two. But he didn't find either of them upstairs in their bedrooms, leading him to wonder where else they could be. Quatre meandered downstairs towards the kitchen, but paused on his way past the living room when he heard a noise. The blonde walked towards the couch in curiosity, coming around the front only to put a hand over his mouth to stifle his reaction.

"Oh my god if that isn't the most adorable thing I've ever seen..."

It obviously hadn't been intentional the way they were positioned, rather like they had been in the middle of patching each other's injuries and just drifted off. Either that or they had finished and were just too tired to get back up. The open first aid kit sat forgotten on the coffee table and there was a roll of bandages that had fallen from Wufei's lax fingers onto the floor. The Chinese boy had his back against the arm of the couch and was leaning sideways into the cushions, his knees bent so he was almost curled up. Duo, who was a notoriously clingy sleeper, had maneuvered his way half onto the other boy, nestled against his chest with one arm loosely wrapped around Wufei's middle. His legs were curled tight and he looked absolutely content. It was really quite adorable, especially when he noticed that Wufei had one hand resting on Duo's back.

"Huh," Quatre mumbled curiously, tilting his head slightly when a thought struck him. "I wonder if... no, it couldn't be," his dismissed, chuckling softly. "But where's a camera when you need it?" he sighed with a smile, shaking his head as he left for the kitchen.

Unbeknownst to the blonde, one blue eye opened slowly and peered towards the kitchen doorway. Duo listened to the sounds of Quatre making a pot of tea, lulled by the soft clanking of dishes and the running of water. It was comforting to be back in the safe house with a moment to relax. His eyes carefully flittered up to look at Wufei, who was still asleep. And then Duo had to ponder something that still had him confused.

_You wonder if what? _he thought finally, trying to decipher what Quatre had been muttering to himself. _What did you mean?_

He merely shook his head, keeping the motion small so he wouldn't wake his pillow. He wasn't sure how Wufei would react upon waking, so he just closed his eyes and made himself comfortable so he could enjoy it. It was nice to have some human contact, and it was a nice side of Wufei for him to see. Usually the Chinese boy was either keeping him out of trouble or yelling at him for the nicknames he came up with. Being able to see the other pilot in such a relaxed and peaceful state was rare, as Wufei never left himself unguarded if he could help it. Even lately since they had gotten closer, he still kept himself at a careful distance.

Duo sighed once more, soothed by the heartbeat under his ear and the muffled sound of breathing. He'd come close to losing Wufei, so it was just nice to have that steady thrum under his ear, to know he was alive.

He had drifted off again at some point, as it was hard not to. The late morning sun that was streaming through the window warmed his body and made it seem ungodly to move. His body was thrumming in a pleased manner as he tottered on the verge of sleep, and he might as well have been a cat for how happy and sated he felt in the warmth. For a little while he could just forget about all that had happened in the past few weeks.

But ten minutes later when he felt a hand gently run through his bangs, his eyes shot open of their own accord.

Wufei's hand hung frozen in mid-air, and he stared right back at Duo with an equal amount of surprise. "Uh-" he muttered in shock, mouth hanging open. He was not used to being caught in such an act, and surely Duo could hear his heart hammering, it seemed so loud in the deafening silence that it must have been audible. He hadn't even realized he was doing it.

After a while of this staring, Duo gathered his wits and got his brain to work. So he smiled, tentatively, giving Wufei his best dose of what women referred to as 'those big blue eyes.' "Hi," he said cheekily, grinning.

Wufei felt his heart start to slow down and he was able to breathe again. The greeting made him chuckle softly, but it was mainly in relief because Duo was playing the whole thing off like it was no big deal. But that weird feeling was present in Wufei's chest again, and he didn't know what to think of it.

"Sorry," the brunette said as he backed off and sat up. "I get clingy when I sleep," he explained, rubbing the back of his head with an apologetic grin.

"It's alright," Wufei replied, sitting upright once Duo was off of him and straightening his clothes as best he could. He cleared his throat, not sure what else he could say in this weird, somewhat awkward moment.

But the brunette looked up with an amused, somewhat shy smile. "So are you sick of me yet? We've been spending so much time together lately I'm surprised you haven't taken my head off yet," he said with a laugh, and something about the sound was slightly off, made the Chinese boy pause before he even opened his mouth.

Before Wufei could reply, Quatre poked his head out of the kitchen with an odd look on his face. When he saw the two, he smiled, but that unidentifiable emotion was still there, hidden under the surface. Another confusing thing to add to Wufei's list of things he just wasn't getting. "I thought I heard talking, I hope I didn't wake you guys. There's tea in here if you want some," he offered. "And I hope someone will fill me in on your latest escapades?" he asked hopefully, his face turning worrisome. "How did it go? Did you find the...?" But he trailed off, unable to finish the sentence.

Duo and Wufei shared a look between them, and the brunette sighed, smiling up at the blonde. "Let's discuss that over tea," he offered, standing from his spot on the couch and shuffling Quatre into the kitchen with an arm around his shoulders. This was going to be a _long _story.

_End Chapter 14_

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* * *

_

Aah, I think there's only like... one more chapter after this. O_O I hope you enjoyed the 'tranny' moment. xD And I know the word 'tranny' is typically short for transvestite, but Duo is referring to Transsexual here, cause he knows the difference. =p When I first thought of it I laughed, but then I started feeling so bad for Duo. x3 Don't worry, we'll make it up to him. I prooo~miissee.

I hope the pace is okay for you guys? I mean, sometimes I feel like things should move a little faster with a little less detail, and then there are some parts I feel should be drawn out a little. Has it been okay?

Allora Gale: Thanks for the kind words. ^^ I know I'm probably off on a lot of times, but I try my best to get good details in the story, like geography, places, climates, distance, etc. And you're right, 3 or 4 miles isn't that bad, but I figured when you have gunshot wounds a lot of aches and bruises, it becomes more of a challenge. I appreciate the feedback, thanks.

In2lalaland: Haha, I know, Sweden seems totally harmless, right? xD And well, they _were _anticipating Duo and Fei's arrival, so they were able to gather all the forces to take them down. I'm glad you liked the action scenes, I never really feel like I've done a good job on them, so that's nice to hear! And no, I would never turn Duo green and ugly, I love him too much. xD On Wufei, being the damsel, I figure all the bad stuff can't happen to Duo all the time, so Wufei gets to be saved sometimes too! ^^ Thanks for the review!

And to everyone else, thank you as well for the reviews! They feed me like a monster feeds on scared children! Grrr! =D


	15. Hook Me Up a New Revolution

Red Means Stop

Chapter 15: Hook Me up a New Revolution

* * *

The clock on the wall ticked loudly in the silence of the kitchen, marking off every second that went by unspoken between them. The herbal smell of tea lingered throughout the room, but it was mostly forgotten in the wake of a long story, only the occasional sip taken when someone remembered. The late morning sun was now high above them, and the rays of early light had faded from the kitchen as an explanation was laid out.

Quatre sat in his chair with a bewildered look on his face, his fingers distractedly working the handle of his mug as he tried to take in the wild tale. The smooth porcelain under his hands thankfully stood up to his worried grip. "So... you can...?" he started uncertainly, not sure how to phrase such a question.

Duo just nodded solemnly, placing his hand flat on the tabletop in clear view. He took a breath and willed the shadows under his palm, creating the inky vortex that would become his cheat code for solid objects. He then let his hand sink into the blackness, ignoring the startled intake of breath from Quatre, and continued until he was wrist deep in the table. The brunette slowly retracted his hand, the pool of shadows dwindling smaller around his touch until the last drop disappeared from under his fingers.

"Incredible," Quatre breathed out finally, unsure of what else to say as he leaned back in his chair with a shocked look on his face. He shook his head in disbelief and ran a hand through his hair, trying to comprehend the wild tale even when he'd seen straight up proof. "But you- you're alright?" he asked uncertainly. "Is this going to... you know, do anything as time goes by?" he asked with furrowed eyebrows.

"As far as I know it won't... hurt me or anything," Duo replied. He shrugged in an uncertain gesture, because while it was hard to believe anything that asshole Hayden told him, he hadn't done anything to make Duo suspect that there was danger. He did have one card, the Dark Eyes, but that son of a bitch Nicolo Elov was dead, and he'd said he was the only successful Dark Eyes to be created, so Duo felt safe enough. He laughed then, a thought coming to his head suddenly. "I mean, Heero should like it! I'll be even better at infiltration missions!" he said, trying to lighten the mood. "Everyone will wanna be my best friend!"

Quatre chuckled softly at the idea, knowing he had a good point. "That's probably true. It seems like this has already come in handy, and that trend will most likely continue," he mused softly. While the explanation of this new turn of events was hard to absorb fully, it was also comforting to him once he got around the surprise. These powers had already saved Duo's life multiple times, as well as Wufei's, and hopefully they would prevent more damage in the future as they fought in the war.

He came out his musings when Duo hummed in thought. "Speaking of which, where are those two bastards?" he asked affectionately, grinning in a cheeky manner.

"They're on a quick mission in Spain at the moment," the blonde replied, looking thoughtful as he mentally calculated the time. "They should be back within a day or two," he mused. "Until then, you two should take it easy and we'll worry about your Gundams later," he advised with a smile, taking a careful sip of his tea. "It's just good to know you two are okay and this mess is finally over."

"Amen to that, brother," Duo sighed in relief, earning a chuckle from Quatre.

* * *

For the next day and a half, the three pilots just allowed themselves to relax and recuperate. Duo and Wufei needed the break the most, and Quatre had gone through a brief period of worry after a recount of the all the injuries, but he settled down soon enough. He'd been rapt with attention when Duo described how he'd pulled multiple bullets out of fresh wounds without inflicting any pain. The braided boy then paraded through the house, passing through walls and chairs and counters to entertain the blonde with the new ability and show off.

When Heero and Trowa arrived, Duo resisted the urge to pop out from a solid wall and surprise them. It would have been funny if he had normal friends. But doing that to Heero would get you shot in the face first and then identified later. Instead, he waited for them to walk down the entry hall of the house, waiting in plain sight. "Hey guys," he called with a grin, waving at them.

"I want to know what happened," Heero said immediately, setting down a bag of supplies neatly against the wall. "But first, don't head back to Stockholm and unwind when you see your Gundam isn't there. We contacted Howard and he told us to drop them off at his ship. He's repairing them as we speak," the Japanese boy said.

Trowa nodded to confirm this. "He said they should be ready to fly in about a week, based on the look-over he gave them."

"Aww, you guys," Duo said with a smile, walking forward to give them each a pat on the shoulder. "Thanks a lot, you saved us a lot of back and forth," he said honestly. Then his face morphed into a strange look, as if he had just remembered something important, and it turned to shock. "Aw fuck! I forgot to call Howard!" he groaned, slapping a hand to his forehead. "He's going to belt me for sure when I go get Deathscythe!"

"What's that?"

The three looked over as Wufei emerged from the kitchen with a cup of tea, giving a nod of greeting to Heero and Trowa. Duo, still looking a little chastised at the idea of seeing Howard, grinned at the Chinese pilot. "Heero and Tro picked up our Gundams and left them with Howie. They're getting patched up."

Wufei visibly relaxed as a relieved look settled on his face. "Thank you two. We're a little worn out, so this saves us a great deal of trouble."

Heero gave a short nod in response to the thanks, gesturing to the kitchen. "Come. Tell us the latest developments," he invited quietly, looking hesitantly curious in his own muted way. He was portraying the same emotion Quatre had, eager to hear what had happened but already guarded in case there was more bad news or another hurdle to cross. It was subtle and well-hidden, but it was Heero's way of saying he was worried.

Duo just smiled and lead Heero and Trowa into the kitchen, preparing to tell the story again and deal with more surprised faces. He was beginning to feel like one of those old-time storytellers, especially when it involved the strange new powers of his. But for his friends who had stuck by him for so long, he'd gladly tell the story again.

* * *

Duo stared quietly out the bay window, fiddling with some mobile suit part without even looking at it. He sat in the large window seat with his legs stretched out, one ankle crossed over the other. Not for the first time that day, he wondered how Wufei was doing.

It had been a month since he'd last seen or heard from the Chinese pilot, since 'normal' life had picked back up and the pilots had all been spread out across the globe once more. It was irrational to have all five of them together at once, he knew, but that didn't stop him from wishing he could see all the guys again. He wondered if Wufei's injuries had healed up alright, and how he was doing now. If he'd gotten hurt again, or if he was running from Oz soldiers. They'd both been pretty banged up by the time they got back to the safe house in Izmir, and the thought of the gunshot to Wufei's stomach had often plagued Duo.

Currently, he was at a small farmhouse in Nebraska, somewhere in the middle of nowhere for all he knew. There were miles and miles of fields and hills surrounding the battered old house to the north and the east, revealing nothing in the way of towns, cities, or any other human being. To the south and the west, the house was bordered by the Pine Ridge, an expanse of rolling hills covered by a sweep of pine trees that made good cover for his Gundam in one of the trenches. He'd been positioned here of all places because Europe was a hot spot right now, according to G. He'd simply told Duo to lay low while waiting for the next mission.

Apparently that translated to bored out of his mind. He'd fully explored the dilapidated old house in the week he'd been staying here, and it left much to be desired. It hadn't stood the test of time like their last safe house in Turkey, falling to the elements in bits and pieces. Literally. Jagged scraps of rotting wood littered the ground around the house, paint flaking off in patches from the sun's rays. The back door had fallen off the hinges and most of the windows were cracked in jagged spider-web patterns. At first he couldn't get the second floor because the stair case was completely collapsed in several places, but with a bit of gymnastics that would have made Trowa proud, he'd gotten up to the landing of the second story. The rooms up here were just as decrepit as downstairs. Furniture faded and cracked from years of exposure to the sun, dust coating everything in a thick layer, and parts of the floor threatening with a load groan to give under his weight.

He stuck to the downstairs.

The first day he'd amused himself by exploring the Pine Ridge. He'd sat by a creek and listened to a flock of wild turkeys 'talk' amongst themselves as they moved through the area and grazed. He'd startled both himself and a herd of elk as both parties nearly ran into each other, spooking the Deathscythe pilot into returning to the house. He didn't feel like getting trampled by those huge things, or gored by the big male of the group. Those horns didn't look inviting.

Despite the whole elk incident, he'd explored the woods several more times just to pass the time, frequently checking in with Deathscythe to see if anyone had contacted him. At this point he was just dying to get out and do something, even if it meant running from Oz soldiers. He was just bored and terribly lonely, messing with mobile suit parts while staring out the window.

But at least now he knew someone was coming. He'd gotten a message earlier in the morning from Heero that Trowa was being sent to the states and he'd be joining Duo at the safe house. Trowa wasn't the most talkative guy in the world, but Duo could get him chatting if he chose the right topic, even if the taller boy only replied in small sentences at a time. He was just desperate for company, seeing as he hadn't spoken to any of the other pilots for two weeks now. He'd gotten so used to them all being together for a short time, had gotten used to always having someone around. Now it was lonely and quiet. Talking to himself had gotten old fast.

It was late in the evening when he heard the quiet rumble of a mobile suit pass over the house, and Duo perked up in excitement. He ran from the kitchen to the bay window, which faced the Pine Ride, just in time to see something large setting down in the forest, almost completely concealed by the trees and the hill that dropped off to the trench. He waited in anticipation as Trowa shut down his Gundam and did whatever it was he needed to do, staring out the window like an eager puppy waiting for its master to return home.

And then he saw a figure in the woods, prompting him to hop down from the window seat and head to the front door, throwing the screen open. "Hey Tro! Long time no see!" he called, trying to see around the last bit of brush that concealed the other pilot.

"Do I look like Barton to you?"

Duo's face morphed into a look of shock, mouth hanging open because he knew that voice and it _wasn't _Trowa's!

"Wufei!" he said excitedly, a huge grin splitting his face as he trotted down the creaky front porch and through the yard littered with rotting wood.

The Chinese boy emerged from the tree line, a calm smirk on his face as he headed down from the woods with duffel bag in hand. "Long time no see," he called in amusement as he headed towards the brunette, who was still running towards him. He realized too late what was going to happen, and Duo tackled him in an excited hug, almost knocking them both off balance.

For a few moments he stood frozen in the embrace, face heating up at the close proximity of the other boy. Duo seemed to realize what he was doing and let go, pulling back to aim a bemused smile at Wufei. "Sorry! It's been a long time, y'know? Haven't seen anyone in two weeks!" he explained, watching the other boy compose himself and pick up his dropped duffel bag. "C'mon inside the palace!" he joked, grabbing Wufei's free hand and leading him up the yard to the house.

Wufei felt his face heat up again as he listened to Duo ramble on about turkeys and elk and collapsed staircases while those calloused fingers kept a loose grip on his hand-

"So what's up?" Duo asked suddenly, heading up the creaky steps and holding the door open for his friend. "Heero said Trowa was heading here. Not that I'm not happy to see you," he teased.

"He was," the Chinese boy replied after clearing his throat, stepping into the old house. He took a look around at the dirty interior, nose wrinkling as particles of dust floated serenely through the late afternoon sun. He decided to leave his shoes on. "But he and I were switched at the last second, since Winner needed his help on a mission that called for the hand of a demolitions expert," Wufei explained, turning to look at the brunette.

"Ohh, cool," Duo replied with a grin, shutting the door behind him. "Can't complain, it's been a long time. How've you been, Fei?" he asked, leading the Chinese boy into the kitchen to make some tea.

"Well enough," Wufei replied, settling himself onto one of the rickety bar stools while Duo shuffled through a cabinet of supplies that the brunette had stocked on a supply run. "I've been quite busy with missions, a lot of flying between."

"What?" Duo asked in dismay, turning around with an old kettle in hand and looking affronted. "I've had barely any action in the past month! To top it off, G dumped me here in Nowheres-ville cause it was 'too noisy' everywhere else! I'm out of my mind with boredom, man!" he exclaimed, filling the kettle with water from a bucket in the sink and setting it heavily on the woodstove. "I went turkey watching!" he cried pathetically, looking stricken.

Wufei smirked at the agitated brunette, folding his arms over his chest as he watched Duo build a fire in the stove. "You know, maybe he just wanted to keep you out of trouble," the Chinese boy remarked slyly. "Maybe you're in time-out."

"Ey, I've said it before an' I'll say it again. Fuck you, man," the brunette shot back with a playful grin. "The fire's gonna take some time to heat up," he told the other boy, taking a seat at the old bar counter. "This place doesn't have any gas or running water, but there's a pump well out back that hasn't dried up," he told Wufei. "Oh, and be careful where you walk. Everything here is rotted to hell and it'll give out if you don' watch your step."

"Sounds like fun," the Chinese boy said dryly. "So tell me, has anything happened with these Darkling powers of yours?" he asked curiously.

"Not really," Duo replied casually. "Not on its own, anyway. I've been practicing since there was nothing else to do, so I'm better at it now. I used to have to put my hand on somethin' and think about going through it, now I can just wave my hand and it passes right through," he said, demonstrating his point by sweeping a hand through the bar counter without any hesitation. The familiar pool of shadows was now a trail behind where he'd touched as they tried to keep up with him.

"Interesting," Wufei remarked, watching the improved control. "What about that thing you did at the Stockholm base?" he asked.

Duo repressed a shiver at the thought, trying not to loose his cool. "I haven't been able to do that again," he said, hedging the real answer. He hadn't been able to do it again because he hadn't _tried_ at all. He didn't _want _that kind of power, and the memory of it still made him antsy. He could always feel the core of his power swimming around in his stomach, could feel the potential for that... that _thing _inside of him, always there lurking, but he hadn't touched it.

Whether or not Wufei picked up his distress over the incident, he didn't mention on it. "Well Duo, I hope you haven't been slacking off, because I rise every morning at five o'clock to exercise, and you're going to join me," he said casually, even though he was giving an order. "I won't have you getting flabby and slowing me down when we get a mission."

While Duo was pleased that they were still on a first name basis, he bristled indignantly at what Wufei was insinuating. "Flabby? Well excuse me Mr. I-rise-with-the-sun, but I have been keeping myself in shape just fine!" he said huffily, a mischievous gleam in his eye. "If anyone's had custom love handles installed, it might be _you_," he pointed out cheekily, feeling mirth bubble up when he saw Wufei's mouth work soundlessly in insult.

"_Love handles?_" he repeated incredulously, fists clenched.

"Grade-A, stainless steel, baby," Duo shot back with a sly grin, crossing his arms over his chest as he effortless flipped the situation to his advantage. He was proud of Wufei for engaging in some good-natured teasing, but Duo was the _master _of teasing and irritation. There was no contest, because while Wufei had some biting humor to him, he got ruffled way too easily. Not that he thought Wufei had an ounce of fat on him, but it was just too much fun to tease. Which led him to the finishing touch...

"In fact, your shirt seems to fit a little tighter around the tummy than I remember..."

"You little brat!" Wufei snarled, lunging for the braided boy with intent to kill.

But Duo just effortlessly fell backward towards the bar counter, calling forth his shadow powers and passing right through the solid object. "Oops! Missed!" he teased cheekily.

"That's cheating!" the Chinese boy growled, moving to dart around the counter in pursuit of the brunette, but Duo just stepped backwards at the last second, disappearing beyond the kitchen wall into the next room. Wufei could hear him laughing through the doorway, prompting him to give chase no matter how futile an effort it was. Though, loathe as he was to admit it...

...It was nice to have some fun again.

* * *

Later that night, the two Gundam pilots were lounging in the living room in a comfortable silence, occasionally exchanging a few words in muted conversation. Wufei was on one end of the couch reading from a thick novel, reading glasses perched on his nose as his eyes roved the pages. Duo was laying on the remainder of the couch, with his torso on the cushions, his head near Wufei's thigh, and his legs hanging over the unoccupied armrest. His arms were crossed comfortably over his chest, eyes half-lidded as he enjoyed the silent company that he'd been craving for the past two weeks of being alone.

The house was mainly dark, because there was no gas or electricity, but their area was dimly illuminated by an electric lamp. They decided against candles in favor of not setting the house alight, seeing as it was perfect fodder for a blazing fire. Roasted Gundam Pilot indeed.

The atmosphere was making Duo hazy and comfortable, and the warm light was hitting Wufei just right to accentuate the details of his face and cast the rest in shadows. So he just stared at the Chinese boy, who was oblivious to the attention because he was so absorbed in his book. The brunette's half-lidded blue eyes kept their focus on the other pilot, studying and thinking, thinking thinking thinking. He'd been thinking for a few weeks now, and the thinking was going somewhere today. Somewhere he'd have to test and figure out for himself.

Eventually, Wufei picked up on the attention, surprised to see Duo staring at him with an intent, although lazy gaze. "Duo? What is it?" he asked hesitantly, unsure of what he saw behind that stare.

The braided boy continued to stare up at him, unblinking, unspeaking, just watching and studying. Testing. Calculating. Wufei blinked in confusion as that weird feeling fluttered up in his chest and stomach, the same feeling he couldn't recall experiencing since the last time he saw Duo. He swallowed thickly, uncharacteristically tentative as he questioned the brunette once more.

Finally, Duo smiled. A tiny, knowing smile that looked like he had come to a conclusion. A theory proven, a question answered. He held up one finger and beckoned for Wufei to come closer. Nervously, thinking the brunette had something to tell him, the Chinese boy leaned down a little. But Duo gestured again to come closer, curling his finger until Wufei bent down a little more, expecting to hear a whisper or a tease.

Instead, Duo reached up with both hands, placing one on the back of Wufei's head and one on the side of his face. He saw Wufei's eyes widen in surprise as he leaned up to close the rest of the distance, smile still firmly in place.

Their lips met.

Soft, chaste, and questioning, the barest brush of lips in a feather light contact, but it seemed to last forever as time stood still...

Until Wufei kissed back.

And Duo smiled against his lips, fingers sliding up over the Chinese boy's hair as he pulled Wufei closer. When they pulled back just enough to catch a breath of air, Duo swung his legs around so he could sit up and better reach the other pilot. Their lips met again in a slightly more brazen kiss, molding to each other as if to get acquainted with the feeling of such close contact. Wufei's hands found a spot on Duo's waist, while the brunette slyly tugged the tie from Wufei's hair, releasing the silky black locks so he could run his fingers through the strands.

But they didn't stay for long. Both pairs of hands ended up traveling, and while Wufei's fingers were threading into the base of the thick braid, Duo's hands found the Chinese boy's sides. After a moment, his fingers gave a gentle squeeze.

"Don't you touch my love handles," Wufei growled into his mouth.

Unable to help himself, Duo just gave in and laughed against the other boy's lips, wrapping his arms fully around Wufei and pulling him as close as possible in the dim glow of the electric lamp.

* * *

_3 years later..._

A young man sniffed and let out a puff of breath, wrinkling his tanned nose and causing the dark sunglasses perched on said nose to jump slightly. The late afternoon sun beat down on him from low in the sky as he finished the last sip of a raspberry iced tea, placing the glass back on the table and folding up a section of newspaper. He left this and a few bills on the table before standing up, stretching out languidly until his back cracked pleasantly. The young man strolled down the street in a fluid gait, hands in the pockets of his jeans and a long braid of hair swinging rhythmically behind him, occasionally bumping against the black tank top that covered his torso.

Around a corner and down two blocks he went, until he came upon the corner of the city park, shady trees dotting the well-kept lawn of lush grass and children occupying the nearby playground. He stood there for about a minute, hands in his pockets as he watched the kids playing, a soft smile on his lips.

Some moments later, a soft, whining rumble became audible as a motorcycle rounded the corner of the block. The street bike slowed to a gentle stop alongside the young man, and he raised a playful eyebrow in greeting, revealing a silver stud that glistened in the sunlight. The rider held out a helmet to the young man, and he took it, removing the sunglasses and revealing eyes the shade of endless blue. The sunglasses were slipped into his pocket and the helmet was placed securely on his head. The young man hopped onto the bike, wrapping his arms around the driver's waist and giving his stomach a pat.

The bike took off down the street and turned the corner at a smooth angle, heading towards the edge of town where buildings and people started to thin out, replaced by more plants and open space. They passed fields of grazing horses and cows, the wind ripping at their clothes as the motorcycle tore down the deserted back road that was abandoned for conventional highways. This road was a highway for souls that hadn't been tethered to city and brick and office buildings, souls who yearned for nothing more than to escape those confines. The riders were two such souls, who had much more than office buildings to leave behind.

The air started to cool down significantly as they neared the coast and the sun started to descend behind golden hills, casting the coastal country side in a blanket of orange light that made everything glow. By the time they arrived at their destination, the sky was dark and peppered with millions of shining stars the likes of which they never could have witnessed back in the city. The driver took a right turn onto a small gravel road, abandoning speed to coast down the long driveway towards a modest yet spacious house at the end of the path. The motorcycle headed straight for the garage door that remained firmly shut, but they breezed right through the solid object and into the garage. In the dark of night, it was nearly impossible to see the dwindling pool of shadows where the riders had just disappeared.

Inside, the passenger slid off the bike to land lightly on the cold cement floor, pulling the helmet off of his head while the driver shut off the machine so the rumbling whine dwindled down into a deafening silence. The driver set the kickstand and leaned the bike over so he could slip off as well, removing his helmet. "How was you lunch with Heero?" Wufei asked, setting the helmet onto the washing machine next to the other one.

"It was cool," Duo replied, following the other boy through a door that led to their kitchen, which flooded with light when Wufei flipped the switch. "He said he's gonna ask Relena out on a date soon."

"Really," Wufei said in surprise, turning to look at the brunette a curious expression.

"Yeah. I told him to practice on me, and some chicks passed us right when he did. They started giggling an' the poor guy went redder than a tomato," Duo snickered, pulling a glass out of the cupboard to fill with water from the fridge dispenser. "He then attempted to kill me over the table. I say 'attempted' because if I hadn't learned how to get away with pissing Heero off, I'da been dead a long time ago," he explained with a laugh.

"I know that well," Wufei remarked with a smirk. "I'm sorry I couldn't be there," he added.

"Ah, no worries," Duo replied, taking a sip from his water as they headed into the living room. "He knows you have work. He wasn't able to stay long either. You know how Une is. Slave driver," he scoffed breezily.

The Chinese boy nodded with a grimace. "She's running you pretty ragged too, isn't she?"

"Yeah," the brunette said with a shrug. "But I'm planning on getting some time off soon. She owes me one. Like, forever."

Wufei smirked in amusement, sitting down on the couch and pulling Duo close. "You're still lording that over her head?"

"Fuck yeah," the brunette replied as if it were obvious. Really, how could he not? "If she didn't want it held against her for the rest of her life she shouldn't have been dabbling with that Alpha Wolf shit. I've got permanent ammo on her, cause she can't lock me out of anything," he said casually, examining his glass of water with interest from where it sat on the coffee table.

"Employee files?"

Duo just grinned devilishly and leaned back into the other boy, making himself comfortable by spreading out on the couch. Wufei chuckled softly and obliged the brunette stretching out, leaning over his shoulder to plant a long kiss on Duo's lips when the braided boy turned to meet him. That was one thing he loved about the Chinese boy. He knew Duo better than anyone, probably better than the brunette knew himself. Wufei had followed him to the ends of earth and space and back again, and they'd grown closer than close under dire circumstances while the universe warred around them. It seemed like a fairytale, things he'd never indulged in while the world was so cold and cruel, but one person had proved all that nonsense to him.

Spurred by these thoughts, Duo murmured something incoherent into Wufei's mouth as touches were exchanged and things started to get a little more heated, very reminiscent of the first time they'd kissed. In fact, the brunette's hands were wandering to a certain spot...

"_Don't_," Wufei growled into the kiss, feeling teasing fingers on his sides.

Duo just laughed and pulled his lover closer in the dim light, knowing at this point he wouldn't know what to do without one grumpy Chang Wufei in his life, love handles or no.

* * *

_So hear this please.  
And watch as your heart speeds up endlessly.  
And look for the stars as the sun goes down.  
Each breath that you take has a thunderous sound.  
Everything, everything's magic._

_

* * *

_

_Red Means Stop_

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* * *

_

What? Is it? It is! It's done! Haaaaaaa! xD I'm just so happy to see this done! This is my first full length story, and the first one finished! I want to take this time to thank everyone who's stuck with me over the (believe it or not) three and a half years of this story. I know, I can't believe it took so damn long, but we made it through! I really do appreciate all the reviews and favorites that I've gotten, and hopefully I've left you satisfied as this saga ends. ^_^

This story is officially done, but I'll be updating earlier chapters with page breaks, so I'm letting you know in advance in case you see it pop up under author alerts or anything.

Next, I promise you guys I'll pick back up on my other three stories that are waiting to be finished. That means Shadows Beneath, Sticky Note Affair, and Water Voices.


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